The Emerald Knight's Tale
by SigmaFang
Summary: The story of Fairy Tail with a twist: A male OC is taking Lucy's place in the spotlight, causing quite an alteration on the original story. A few other characters may be replaced by OCs later down the line depending on how the story flows. Rated M for mature themes later down the line.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey guys! :) This is basically going to be Fairy Tail with Lucy replaced by an OC and seeing how the story would be different. This is my first fanfic, so let's see how far I can keep this going. I hope you enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

The train screeched to a halt at its destination. There was one occupant in particular who looked as if he was having a particularly bad time. He had dark eyes, and spiky pink hair, a sleeveless, gold trimmed, black waistcoat, a black wristband on one of his wrists, white knee length pants with black ribbon ties, covered by a similar black, gold trimmed cloth around his waist, black sandals, and a white scarf around his neck.

"Uh…are you alright?" One of the conductors asked, the pinked hair young man was sprawled all over the floor, laying on the comforter that was strapped to his back, muttering something along the lines of that he was going to die soon.

"Aye, sir!" A tiny blue cat said in a high-pitched voice, walking perfectly fine on two legs. Like his comrade, he also wore a little green sack. The conductor let out a little yell and backed away, not expecting to see a talking cat, of all things, "This always happens…"

The conductor gave a small nod, not exactly sure what he meant by 'this', so he left the pair alone.

"Uh…" The pink-haired man sat up weakly, "Damn it…I should stop taking the train…it's gonna kill me one of these days…" He said in a high, light and airy voice.

"Come on, we have to hurry!" The cat said, starting to head out the train, "If what we heard is true, the fire dragon Salamander is in town!"

"Urp…" The pink haired man fell back again, "I'm just gonna take a quick break…"

The cat left the train, either he didn't hear his friend or he was eager for the fresh air. Soon however he heard a blaring screech, and the train carried off to its next stop. The cat watched helplessly with big eyes as the train carted his friend away. The pink haired man screamed as he knew he would be trapped for another entire ride on the train.

* * *

A knight in a pristine set of armor examined his surroundings, he was standing in a rather homely, simple shop. His armor looked to be made of gemstone, emerald, to be exact. It glowed with a deep green color, covering him from neck to toe. He wore a simple, spherical helmet on his head, almost looking like a helmet for a racecar driver than for a knight, there was a simple grate that could be pulled over his face too if he was in battle. At the moment, his visor was up, as he knew he was around civilians. His skin was quite tan and his eyes were two cool green orbs that were the color of emerald, the color of his armor.

Yes, originally, the knight would be pleased by all of his features, but there was one glaring flaw he had which he really wished he could change. His height. For a hero in shining armor, he really wished he could have the height to back that up, but he sadly doesn't, and it usually causes him to shrink away in fear or hesitance at taller foes, even if he may actually have more battle experience against them.

He was armed with a rather long and sharp lance that was on a holster by his waist, as well as a shield on his back that weighed quite a bit by the looks of it. Like all his other weapons and armor, it was a deep green, and it was shaped in a perfect circle. It was huge, it looked like it could protect the man's entire body when in use. It was studded with many emeralds which protruded out the front of it.

"Young man…you look a little confused…" The old man behind the counter said, "Are you perhaps lost?"

The Emerald Knight turned his head towards him, "Perhaps…" He muttered in a robust, deep voice. At least his voice fit him, this pleased him. If his height failed him, at least his speaking voice could reassure people that he could protect them.

"This is port town of Hargeon, interested in purchasing anything?" The old clerk held his hands out.

 _Have I really wondered this far away already?_ "Yes." The knight clacked up towards the counter, "I'd like to look at your finest lance, and maybe even a sword. I'd prefer a lance, but I'll take anything."

The clerk's smile faded, "Not sure if you know this or not…but…this is a magic shop…"

He cocked an eyebrow, "A _magic_ shop?"

"What? You don't know what magic is? Have you been living under a rock all these years?"

"No I haven't been living under a rock all these years." He snapped back quickly, then he took a deep sigh, instantly regretting his loss of temper, "I…" He sighed again, "You only sell magic?"

"Truthfully, we're more a fish market city than a magic city…only rarely do we actually get orders involving magic…"

"I see." _Good, when a monster attacks or a war is announced, these people can use their fish to protect them._ "I suppose I shall take my business elsewhere…"

"Now, now, wait, we do have one treasure here. Now…you'll like this." The old man held up a silver key, "You ever hear of celestial spirits, this here is a key to one of them!"

"A key?" The Emerald Knight asked, "How interesting. How much is it being sold for?"

"Twenty-thousand jewel."

A pause, "You're kidding, right?"

"Unfortunately, no I am not sir."

In no less than three seconds, the Emerald Knight was back on the street, annoyed, with a heavy glare in his green eyes. He would occasionally sigh to cool himself down.

He felt bad for how he was acting, he really did. This wasn't normally how he acted, grumpy and short with people. Truth be told, his life has toppled over like a rather long and intricate line of dominos, and he thought that a travel around the continent would help ease his mind. It turns out his travels have only worsened his mood. All this talk about magic and wizards and guilds were making his head spin.

He did know a little bit of magic, or, rather his _weapons_ were enchanted with magic. But if he went toe-to-toe with a wizard, he would be flattened immediately, even if said wizard was inexperienced. Yes, his armor was made of emerald, and therefore very hard to break, but he's heard about quite a few of these wizards. They're creative enough to not let a suit of armor hold them back.

His thoughts were interrupted by a chorus of screams and shouts, as a couple girls ran past him, some of them rudely bumping into him.

The Emerald Knight shook himself off. _What in blazes is going on?_

"It's Salamander! It's Salamander!" Some of them screamed, "The famous wizard! The fire dragon!"

His eyes widened. _Did they just say fire dragon? I hope they don't mean a real one. Well…I suppose if it was a real one…they would be screaming in terror rather than excitement. It must be one of those overly-complicated new nicknames these wizards give themselves to scare their adversaries._ He eventually saw the cooing girls cluster into one large crowd, and his posture sunk a little. _Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_

* * *

The pink haired man gave a loud, low growl, as he and his feline comrade were walking through Hargeon, "I can't believe I had to take that stupid train twice…"

"Yeah…moving vehicles are your greatest weakness." The cat shrugged and held his hands out.

There was a pause, "I'm hungry."

"I think we're fresh out of money, Natsu…"

Natsu frowned, "Happy…you think this Salamander is Igneel?"

"I mean, the only fire dragon I can think of is Igneel." Happy said.

"Finally, I get to meet him again!" Natsu sprang in the air and cheered. Eventually they, like the Emerald Knight, were lead to a swarm of irrationally flustered woman. Their shouts of "Salamander!" could be heard throughout the town.

In the center of the crowd was a man with black eyes and blue hair jutting in slight spikes at the front. There was a black tattoo near his right eyebrow which looked like a thin, stylish X. There was a black cloak with a high collar that reached down to his legs, under it being a light shirt, with pinstriped pants and black shoes.

The man gave a deep chuckle, "I don't know what to do." He said in a luxurious, seductive low-pitched voice, "I can't get where I'm going with all you lovely ladies here." The ladies all cheered, like he was saying just what they wanted to hear.

Natsu was excited, to say the least. He was tearing through the crowd of women left and right in a mad attempt to approach Salamander. He spotted a knight clad in emerald armor, looking overall disgusted at who was in the center, but he paid no mind to him. "Igneel! Igneel!" He called as he got closer towards the center.

Natsu finally broke through the crowd, but he looked very disappointed at who he saw, like a child who didn't receive the gift they wanted for Christmas even though they were very clear about what it was, "Who are you?" He asked, his tone heightened in confusion. The Emerald Knight looked on with a smile, this might be interesting.

"If I said Salamander…" The man smirked, "Would that ring a bell?"

Natsu turned around and began to walk away. But of course, the wrath of the fangirls could never be escaped. They turned around and tackled him to the ground.

"Salamander is a top wizard!" One of them snapped.

"Apologize!" Another demanded.

"Now, now, that's quite enough." Salamander said, "He didn't _mean_ to insult me."

"Aw, what a nice guy!" The fangirls swooned.

Salamander hastily wrote something down on a piece of napkin, he then handed it to Natsu, "Here's my autograph. Now you can brag about it to your little friends." He handed Natsu an immaculate signature.

"Don't want it." Natsu said without missing a beat.

"What is wrong with you?" The fangirls struck again, swarming over Natsu like a bunch of bees. One reaction was rather different than all the other girls.

Natsu heard deep roaring laughter from the knight. It looked like he was about to fall over from his little fit.

"I guess he wasn't the guy…" Natsu sighed to Happy.

"Ladies, my appreciation for your enthusiasm knows no bounds." Salamander said, "But you must forgive me, for I have business at the harbor." A dark purple mist began to carry him away, "There's a party at my yacht tonight. All of you are invited."

Natsu shook his head, "What the hell is wrong with that guy?" He wondered, as the fangirls assured Salamander that they would be at his party, each one trying to out-shout the other.

"Too many things to count, I believe." The Emerald Knight snickered even more.

"And what do you think is so funny over there, mister?"

He smiled, "Oh, it's no offense. I was just worried that everyone had the same opinion of that strange man. The way they were drooling over him was rather depressing. Seeing the way you spoke to him was…refreshing? Should I say?"

"Oh…well…thanks, I guess…"

The Emerald Knight took a relaxed sigh, it had been a while since someone else made him laugh, "You two look hungry. Why don't I treat you to one of the restaurants in this town? It'll be all on me."

Natsu's eyes widened and he could swear he saw drool pouring out of his mouth, "Did you just say something about food?"

The Emerald Knight gave a small nod, "It's the least I can do."

"I don't know, Natsu…weird knights giving us a meal…I don't buy it." Happy said.

The Emerald Knight stared down at the tiny creature, then at Natsu, "Your…your cat…is talking…" He said, as if he needed to be taken to a hospital right away.

"Happy's more than just a cat, he's my friend." Natsu said as both he and Happy grinned.

"I see." The Emerald Knight smiled.

"Now, that food you were talking about." Natsu said.

"Ah, yes…that…" He replied, being practically dragged by the pink-haired man.

The Emerald Knight wasn't sure if he should be pleased or disgusted at all the food flying towards him. Natsu and Happy were clearly lacking in the manners department. It was so bad the Emerald Knight had to end up dodging large pellets of food that flew at him like projectiles. He wouldn't be starting his own modest meal anytime soon.

"So…Natsu and Happy…correct?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Yeah, that's right." Natsu said, not bothering to stop inhaling his food, the result being that his words were no longer in any remote form of the English language, so the Emerald Knight had to listen extra carefully to even begin to understand what the hell he was saying, "What's your name?" Natsu continued.

"I am The Emerald Knight." The Emerald Knight crossed his arms, with closed eyes and a satisfied grin, almost sounding too big for his britches, to be honest.

Natsu cocked an eyebrow, "The Emerald Knight. The Emerald Knight, that's what your parents named you?"

His eyes opened, a bit embarrassed now, "I tell no one my real name."

"Well you should, I wouldn't feel right calling you the Emerald Knight, sounds like a freaking mouthful."

"Well…"

"Let's call him Ant." Happy said.

"Ant?" The Emerald Knight asked, "What for?"

"Cause you're so short!"

He frowned, "I am _not_ short…I'm just…not tall…"

"I like that Happy. Ant." Natsu said, completely ignoring him.

"Yeah, cause he's so short and all." Happy said.

"I am at least five and a half feet!" The Emerald Knight protested.

"More like five-one, on a good day." Happy said.

He took a deep sigh, "So what did you two think about that Salamander character? He seemed a little…suspicious…to me…"

Natsu shrugged, whatever he said was completely unintelligible due to the food he was scarfing down his throat.

"I don't trust him at all…" The Emerald Knight went on, pretty much giving up on trying to translate, "I think he's up to trouble."

Natsu shrugged, "If he wants to be weird, he can go be weird."

The Emerald Knight tried another subject change, "Are you two wizards?"

Natsu nodded, "Are you?"

"Well…sort of…" He mused, "I…I dabble in magic…but my combat is truthfully more straightforward…I'm aware that wizards usually mingle and perform jobs together in guilds."

"Oh yeah?" Natsu grinned, "Think about joining one?"

"I don't know Natsu, this guy looks more like one of the royal guards." Happy said.

That froze the knight in place. He felt a roaring pain in the back of his head. The truth was, he _was_ a royal guard, part of an elite corps, that most of the world hadn't heard of, vital to the defense of Fiore. A long winding trail of a desertion and mountains of debt later, and here he was now, even buying two extra meals for his newfound friends could be seen as frivolous spending in his new, thrifty lifestyle.

"I mean…it seems the more powerful the guild is, the harder it is to get into…" The Emerald Knight said, "And with my power…or lack thereof…it wouldn't bode well for me…" He added quietly.

Natsu gave yet another shrug, not hearing the second bit, and never really giving the first bit much thought.

"So…are you looking for someone?" The Emerald Knight asked, "It seemed that way when we met in that crowd."

"We heard there was a Salamander in town." Natsu said, "I thought for sure it would be Igneel." He said, with Happy adding an 'Aye' in agreement.

"Hmm…so what is this Igneel man like, then, anyway?"

"What? Igneel's not a man." Natsu said.

"Igneel is a real dragon." Happy said.

The Emerald Knight's jaw dropped. It was a while before he could close his mouth again. _This two intend on finding a real dragon? Do dragons even exist? Are the paths of a wizard always this difficult and treacherous?_ He looked outside, "It's getting late." He stood up, "I think I'll take my leave." He left some bills on the table, "That should suffice for everything we've ordered. I appreciate you both putting me back in good spirits. I…didn't think I'd ever return to such a pleasant state." He began to head for the door.

He heard quick shuffling behind him, and turned to see Natsu and Happy bowing at him.

"Thank you!" Happy said.

"Thank you so much for the food!" Natsu said.

The Emerald Knight gave a small smile, as onlookers began to gawk at the odd scene, "It's fine. Don't think anything of it, it's nothing, really."

"We're in your debt!" Happy said, causing the Emerald Knight to wonder exactly how quickly they've picked up the habit of ignoring him.

"I know!" Natsu smiled, standing up and handing him the autograph from Salamander, "You can have this!"

The Emerald Knight frowned, "Don't want it." He said blankly, trying to imitate Natsu. They both shared a laugh after that and went their separate ways.

* * *

The Emerald Knight sat on a park bench, watching the sun set into the ocean, turning the sky and the sea a dark orange. He sighed, actually starting to wonder about joining a wizard guild. It was much more far-fetched to him a few weeks ago, but now it seemed like a good idea. He would need a solid source of income to compensate for his…well…let's just call it debt for now.

He thought for a bit more, the guild he probably heard the most about was Fairy Tail. It sounded like the strongest guild of them all. Should he have asked Natsu about it? No, Natsu probably would have made fun of him, if he belonged to a guild, it would have probably been one with a more masculine sounding name.

He eventually glared out at one of boats in the sea. It seemed to possess the uproar of a vigorous party. It must've been that ship Salamander was talking about for his party. He scoffed at it. He didn't trust Salamander at all, perhaps he would infiltrate that yacht and expose him. Yes, he'll do that. Then after that nonsense, he'll see if he can join a wizard guild, preferably Fairy Tail.

* * *

"Jeez…I can't remember that last time I had a meal that good!" Natsu grinned as he and Happy were walking down the darkened nighttime streets of Hargeon.

"Aye." Happy agreed, he then hopped on a nearby fencepost to get a better view, the two of them saw the same party ship that the Emerald Knight was glowering at a handful of minutes ago. "I think that's the boat that Salamander guy is holding his party at."

"Urp…" Natsu wilted.

"Don't get sick just from imagining it!"

"Ooh! I so want to go to that party!" One of the stragglers of the fangirls said, heading towards the boat.

"Me too! Salamander is a top wizard!" Another said.

"Yeah, I know, right? From Fairy Tail!"

Natsu and Happy froze, Natsu glared at the boat, with a decidedly peeved expression, "Fairy Tail…" He repeated slowly.

* * *

It was nightfall by the time the Emerald Knight found a way to sneak aboard the boat. It was rather simple, actually, since he was a knight. Every time a partygoer walked by, he just assumed an imposing, protective stance and people assumed he was a guard or bouncer.

He started snooping further and further into the more private segments of the ship, trying to dig up something incriminating on this Salamander man. He seemed a bit too full of himself for the knight's liking.

He was suddenly grabbed by both wrists, being lifted from the ground slightly by two goons, as many more thugs surrounded him.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Emerald Knight growled.

"You're a nosy little one, aren't you?" Salamander walked in the center of the crowd.

"I knew you were hiding something." He gave a dark grin, "I just wish someone else was here to see it…"

"Welcome to my slave ship." Salamander grinned back, "Keep your mouth shut on the way to Bosco."

"Boss has it all worked out!" One of the goons holding the knight said, "Girls fall under his charm and walk right into our trap, turning into our cargo!"

"Charms?" The Emerald Knight asked, "So you can use a magic to manipulate other people's feelings? In this case making maidens swoon and lose their inhibitions to you? That's beyond sick. I don't know how you live with yourself if this is what you do for a living!"

"Quiet." Salamander said, "You know, we could use a muscular, stout slave like you too. For doing pointless grunt work." He smirked, "Let's have you branded."

"You wouldn't!" He squirmed. _So I suppose not all wizards are good as I had initially thought._

"Hey boss." One of the goons said, "He's got a mighty sharp lance with him, should we confiscate his weapons?"

"Yes, get rid of them." Salamander said.

"Unhand me you vermin!" The Emerald Knight thrashed a bit more.

Something crashed in from above, knocking over Salamander and some of the goons, thus, freeing the Emerald Knight. Natsu stood tall and glared at his opponent.

"That kid from earlier?" Salamander asked.

"Natsu?" The Emerald Knight's eyes widened in hope.

Natsu suddenly stumbled around like a drunkard, "Urp…no good…can't take it…"

"What? What's wrong with him?" The Emerald Knight panicked.

"Why are people falling out of the sky?" Salamander growled.

"He seems a bit seasick." One of the goons pointed out.

"Ant?" Happy flew in through the hole Natsu had made, with tiny, angelic white wings, "What are you doing here?"

"Happy." The Emerald Knight smiled, "I thought this cretin was up to no good, and it turns out I was correct. I couldn't be happier at both of your help." Then he cocked an eyebrow, "You can fly?"

"Let's save the details for later!" Happy grabbed him under the arms and picked him up.

"Wait, what are you doing?" The Emerald Knight squirmed.

"Natsu's got this! Let's get outta here!"

"You won't get away!" Salamander blasted purple fire at them.

Happy grimaced as he swerved the two of them out of the way.

Salamander growled, "Get them! If the Council hears about this, we're finished!" His goons loaded their guns and started firing.

"Fairy Tail…" Natsu growled weakly, trying to overcome his motion sickness.

Salamander looked at him with a confused glance, not sure what he was talking about.

"Ant, you weigh a ton!" Happy complained, "Your nickname makes no sense anymore! You need to lay off the junk food!"

"First of all, you made the nickname, and secondly, my weight is very healthy, it's just the armor!" He waved a fist out, then he looked nervously at the water, "Happy…if you drop me…I'll sink like a sack of bricks!"

"Well…in that case I have bad news." Happy explained, "I can't stay in this form for too long." And like clockwork, his wings disappeared and he and the Emerald Knight started falling.

"Happy…!" The Emerald Knight screamed, "There's ninety percent chance I'll drown if I touch the water!"

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

"Fly!"

"I just told you I can't, remember?"

"Just try!" He screamed, "Just get me to shallow water…I'll be able to swim the rest of the way if it's not too deep!"

Happy closed his eyes, his wings weakly sputtered out from their hiding place again, and Happy zoomed the Emerald Knight to shallow waters, dropping him off and they both fell in the water. The Emerald Knight picked Happy up and swam while carrying him to the shore, shaking himself off.

Happy panted heavily, "Now what?"

"You let me worry about that." The Emerald Knight sneered and drew his lance, his green lance shined with a bright green lightning sparking off of it. "Swords of Retribution!" He held his lance up high, as about a dozen swords composed of plasma danced around him, spinning slowly behind him. They all shot out towards Salamander's ship like missiles, piercing holes in the sail and slashing through parts of the ship, pretty much rendering it useless. As the wreckage of a boat began to sink slightly a wave pushed it onto the shore, and the goons who weren't knocked out climbed out of the wreck.

Happy smiled, a bit impressed, "Now let's go help Natsu!" He started running off, the Emerald Knight followed him.

Salamander rubbed his head, glaring at the Emerald Knight, "You destroyed my ship!"

"It stopped." Natsu said before anyone could stage a rebuttal, "The rocking stopped…"

"Are you alright?" The Emerald Knight asked quietly.

"Get them!" Salamander pointed at the trio, his guards began to mobilize.

"Oh no." The Emerald Knight grabbed for his lance.

"It's fine." Happy said, waving a paw, "Natsu's a wizard too, remember?"

The Emerald Knight relaxed his grip. Sure, he was a wizard, but wouldn't he need assistance from an ally?

Natsu quickly answered this question by action rather than as snappy reply, he was throwing away Salamander's henchmen with his bare hands like they were nothing, "You say you're a Fairy Tail wizard?" He asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" Salamander challenged.

"I want a real good look at your face." Natsu growled, causing a pause in the air as the two men sized each other up.

"Cause I'm Natsu of Fairy Tail!" Natsu went on, parting his scarf to show a blazing red emblem on his shoulder than the Emerald Knight knew was the emblem for Fairy Tail, "And I've never seen you before in my life!"

"What?" Salamander screamed.

The Emerald Knight's eyes widened, it turned out he was wrong after all.

"That mark…" One of the goons said.

"He's the real thing, Bora!" Another said.

"Bora?" Happy asked, "He was from the Titan Nose guild, he was called Bora the Prominence…and he was pretty crooked too…"

"I don't care what the hell you have planned." Natsu said, "No one slanders the name of Fairy Tail!"

"Enough with the speeches!" Bora blasted Natsu with a big wave of fire.

"Natsu!" The Emerald Knight ran in to help, but Happy again blocked him. He cocked an eyebrow, why did Happy insist on Natsu doing this alone?

Bora chuckled darkly, thinking the match won, but then he heard Natsu said, "This is bad…"

The Emerald Knight and Bora's expression went from initial surprise to pure shock at this sight. Natsu began to…swallow the flames, as if they were a tangible item, let alone edible. "What's this supposed to be?" Natsu asked, "Are you really a fire wizard? I've never tasted flames that taste this bad." He then looked full after all the fire was gone, as if the fire was actually providing him with sustenance, "Ah…well, thanks for the meal…I guess…"

"W-What the hell is this guy?" Bora screamed, completely losing his calm, arrogant composure at the situation.

"He…he ate the fire, he just ate it!" One of goons cried out in fear.

"Fire doesn't work on Natsu." Happy crossed his arms.

The Emerald Knight grew paler and paler, he figured Natsu was strong by seeing how he was in shape, but this was a whole new level in destructive force.

"When I eat fire…" Natsu clenched his fists and smirked, "I feel power, welling up inside me!" He said, as bright orange flames lit up around him, "I'm all fired up!"

"Bora…I've seen this guy before…" One of the goons quivered, "With the pink hair and the scarf that looks like it's made of dragon scales…he's…he's the real deal…"

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu took a deep breath and spewed flames out as far as the eye could see, knocking back the rest of the goons and setting the arena aflame.

" _He's_ the real Salamander…?" The Emerald Knight said shakily pointing at Natsu.

Bora shook in fear, on his knees. He was next.

"Remember this well…" Natsu reared back a fist coated in flames, "This is the might of a Fairy Tail wizard!" He punched Bora square in the face, sending him flying.

"He…he eats fire…he can control fire…spew it out…have it cover his body…I knew magic was intricate, but I had no idea it could be so…godly…" The Emerald Knight said.

"A dragon's lungs exhale fire. A dragon's scales dissolve fire. A dragon's claws are enveloped in fire." Happy explained, "This enchantment allows the user to perform feats only reserved for dragons. It was originally used to fight against dragons."

"So…so he has dragon enchantments…?"

"He's a dragon slayer wizard!" Happy said, "And Igneel taught him everything he knows."

"How…how amazing…" The Emerald Knight said, trying to keep up with Natsu, he was pretty sure that the pink haired young man was still beating Bora around.

He then turned around and screamed, "Ah! He destroyed the entire harbor!"

"Aye!" Happy smiled.

"Aye? What do you mean, 'aye'?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"What's all the commotion?" A squad of the royal army began to march its way onto the scene.

"Oh no…" The Emerald Knight swallowed hard. He never wanted to see the royal forces again, _especially_ not with him at a virtual crime scene.

"Let's go!" Natsu found an opening and started running for it, Happy flew after him.

"But where are we going?" The Emerald Knight tried to keep up.

"You said you were thinking about a guild, right?" Natsu asked, "Then I'll take you to Fairy Tail!" He smiled.

The Emerald Knight smiled back, having absolutely no arguments with that. The trio chuckled and laughed as they ran down the streets and escaped the royal army.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, what did you think? Leave a comment or critique! (Sorry if all the chapters are on the longer side. Scenes where characters are described might take up more space, so a lot of these early scenes might be long!) Thanks for reading! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Here's chapter two! Again, sorry if it's so long, there are a lot of descriptions in this chapter. But don't worry, there will be some action too. Hope you enjoy it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

There was a quiet air in the pristine white meeting hall of the Magic Council. It didn't take long for the news of Hargeon's upset to report back to the elders of the council. One of the elders slammed a tabloid onto the large circular meeting table, "Those idiots at Fairy Tail have done it again!" He said, "This time they destroyed a harbor! Can you believe it?"

"Someday we'll find out that they've wiped out an entire town…" Another elder muttered.

"Don't jinx us." The first said, "They might actually do it someday."

"At least they reported that the damage occurred in the course of apprehending the criminal, Bora." A third member said.

"I happen to like those fools." One of the newer councilmembers said. Like the others he wore elegant white robes, embroidered black with the Magic Council's insignia. He had short blue hair, bluish green eyes, and a red tattoo of an elegant, artistic sword that was placed both above and underneath his right eye.

"It's true that they're idiots." A cat like member of the council said. He was getting on in the years and he was very tiny with age, his hair, fur, and moustache was a light brown. He also had two tufts of his hair arranged like ears and even a tail, "But it's also true that they have a lot of excellent people."

An older woman sitting at the table did nothing but give a deep sigh through her nose, clearly fed up with the drama. She was wearing a purple sweater with a black cloak that all council members wore. Her face, looking tired and annoyed, had an almost witch-like appearance to it, with sand colored hair that was tied up in a messy fashion.

"And that's exactly why they drive us crazy!" One of the elders said.

"That's what makes this so awkward." An older Council member said. He was tall, having gray hair as well as a long beard. Only one of his dark eyes were open at a time. Like the other members, he also wore immaculate white robes, and there was a tiny bat ornament on top of his head.

"Why don't we just leave them be?" The snide, blue-haired man smiled, his voice was one filled with pride and sophistication. There was a stifled giggle from the chair beside his, the deep and smooth voice of a young woman. The lady sitting beside him had long and shining dark hair that went down her back, a dark red collar around her neck, and a white dress on, that almost seemed to be more of a robe than a dress. The dress ran down to about her mid-thighs, and had a low V cut to reveal a great deal of her chest. Her seductive dark eyes looked over from the blue-haired man to the rest of the council.

"What do you mean, Siegrain?" The old bearded elder asked the blue-haired man.

"Without those particular idiots, this world would be very boring."

* * *

Soon enough, the trio of Natsu, Happy, and the Emerald Knight made it to the guild hall, "Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Happy smiled.

The Emerald Knight had a huge grin on his face, "It…it's so magnificent!"

Before them was a grand building that was primarily white, with dark red scalloped rooves that had about three levels. At the top of the building was a golden dome that shone brightly in the mid-afternoon sun. The traditional windows were framed a pine-green color on the second floor, while the windows on the first floor were even more ornate, having hues of gold as well. The columns were the same pine green, and seemed to be perfectly polished and unscathed. Finally, the doorway, the feature that stuck out the most. A gold plaque faced those who walked by, written in dark purple text was the guild's name, as well as the silhouette of two golden fairies, sitting on the corners of the sign.

As the group walked inside, the Emerald Knight was washed over with smells, sights and sounds that were completely unfamiliar to him, yet he felt a strange and warm sense of welcoming and connection. The floorboards were a deep hue of brown, as were the many pillars shown that stacked up to the second floor, which seemed vacant. The tables were a matching wood compound, and these tables were filled with many people, sitting around and chatting. A counter faced the group in the distance, directly in front of them, with a few barmaids serving the guild members drinks or food. Finally, there was a wall all the way to the left, with a huge corkboard, on it were dozens of flyers posted, a few people were gawking at them.

The chatter in the guild amplified the feeling in his chest, there was laughter, stories and banter between all sorts of people. The smell of booze and fresh food filled the air, or perhaps that was just the girl sitting on top of the table next to him, chugging an entire barrel of alcohol.

"Hey!" Natsu shouted over the chatter, "Which one of you idiots fed me that lead? It was all a bunch of lies and crap! I should pound your faces in!"

"Finally back, Natsu?" A man said leaning by on one of wooden beams. He had black spiky hair, dark blue eyes, wearing no shirt, black jeans, and black shoes. He wore a gray necklace with a cross at the center, and his dark blue Fairy Tail emblem was located on his right pectoral. His voice was cool, casual, and deep. By looks and sounds, this person seemed to be Natsu's polar opposite, "It's time for us to finish this."

"Good…I've got some steam I need to blow off! Come here!" Natsu and the shirtless man started an all-out brawl.

The Emerald Knight's eyes widened, "They're using their bare hands…" He muttered to himself, "For magic users…it seems a bit barbaric…"

"Oh yeah, get used to that." The girl sitting on the table next to him muttered as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, "Guild brawls are like…" She let out a massive belch, "…some kinda ancient tradition…" She was wearing nothing but a green and orange striped bra, as well as black capris. Her long brunette hair fell in waves down her back, it perfectly matched her eyes. Her hands grabbed the barrel as she lifted it up and drank from it again.

"Oh, don't mind her, she's just doing her arm exercises for the day." The Emerald Knight heard a cheery voice behind him as he turned to see a woman with gorgeous silver hair that curled down her back, bright icy blue eyes and the warmest smile he had seen all day. She was wearing a fitting dark red gown that had elaborate silver bows on the hemming and across the front, but it still didn't hide her figure. She was carrying two trays, one with drinks and one with two bowls of soup and some bread, "Are you visiting or did you need to speak with our Master?"

The Emerald Knight watched the half-naked girl drink from her barrel, in a confused mix of curiosity and horror. He didn't want to know what was in that barrel. Instead, he faced the barmaid, and he was coated in a different sort of curiosity.

"Ah, I can't blame you for looking at Mirajane that way." A rough, scratchy voice said, as a man put an arm around the Emerald Knight, "Similar first-timers get the same reaction when they see her in the flesh." He blew smoke from his pipe. He seemed to be one of the older guild members, having an over-stylized, almost obnoxious looking brown pompadour, tiny black eyes, a green shirt with a floral pattern, and simple black pants and black shoes.

The Emerald Knight scrunched his nose up from the smoke assaulting his face, he didn't really care for this man at all, but he knew better than to say so in his first impression to the guild, "Who?" He asked.

"You haven't heard of Mirajane?" The man asked, cocking an eyebrow, "What, have you been living under a rock all this time? She's the cover model for _Sorcerer Weekly!_ Don't tell me you haven't read that."

"Is she?" The Emerald Knight looked back at Mirajane, trying to picture her as a model. His cheeks gave a faded pink blush as he kept imagining.

The other man snickered, "Undressing her in your mind, huh? For a knight, you really don't seem to act as fancy and polite as most knights usually do."

His blush deepened out of embarrassment and he gave the man a piercing look.

Mirajane giggled a bit, "Wakaba, perhaps you should give him some personal space for a moment." She held a tray down for him so he could grab a drink, like she read his mind, "As much as I know your wife would approve of your advice." She said, the sweetest smile still plastered on her face.

The older man, Wakaba, shrugged and start downing his drink, the Emerald Knight took a huge sigh of relief.

"What a disgusting sight." An extremely deep voice said, as a large, muscular tan man loomed over the Emerald Knight. The Emerald Knight shrunk back, fearful for his life that the man would pound his lights out. He had white spiky hair, and a long scar going down from below his right eye. He wore a dark blue jacket and pants, as well as traditional Japanese sandals, "A real man would let his fists do the talking!"

"I…I thought that's what they were doing…" The Emerald Knight pointed out.

"No, you don't get it." He shook his head, "I'm a _real_ man, and strength should be what wins battles, not constantly screaming like little-"

Natsu punched the large man with such force that he flew back and hit the wall. Evidently, he was getting in the way of Natsu and the shirtless man's brawl.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, their fight was picking up traction, like a dangerous hurricane. He inched closer to Mirajane, at least feeling somewhat safe around her. After exchanging glances with the beaming barmaid a few times, he recalled that she asked him a question.

He gave a formal bow, "I wish to join your guild." He said timidly.

"Really?" Her bright eyes widened even more, "Alright, let's talk to the Master then, I'm sure he'd love to have you." She said, handing the trays to another barmaid that walked by. "Hmm…" She put a finger on his chin, "Where is he…?"  
"Mira, are you sure you're feeling okay? Remember, the Master went on a meeting!" A friendly and modulated voice, "I thought you closed too late last night." A girl walked forward, one of a group of three. She was short, even to the Emerald Knight's standards. Her hair was thick, short, and bright blue, with an orange headband tying her hair back. She was also wearing a dark cyan corset top with white capris, a yellow bra underneath her top. Her brown eyes smiled as she looked at the Emerald Knight, squeezing the leather-bound book she had in her hands.

"Team Shadow-Gear!" Mirajane beamed, "It's nice to have you all back. I can't believe I forgot about his meeting, that's completely irresponsible of me…"

"It's okay Mira." Levy smiled, "Maybe you should go make yourself some tea, we can go chat later. The three of us can keep him busy." She motioned to the Emerald Knight.

"Thank you, Levy." Mirajane gave a relieved smile as she walked back over to the counter.

"So you want to join Fairy Tail?" Levy looked up at him. It was almost empowering, having someone look up to him, let alone as brightly as she was.

Two men were practically hovering over her. One had paler skin, a purple shirt, a brown jacket and matching brown hat, the other had darker skin, black hair with a tuft of it sticking up, a white shirt and black pants. The Emerald Knight honestly didn't know what to make with this trio.

"That's correct…" The knight finally found his voice.

"Wow, it'll be great to have a new member." Levy beamed, then she held out a tiny hand, "Oh, sorry, my name's Levy." She giggled a bit, "What's your name?"  
"Well, uh…" He started as he timidly shook her hand.

"Call him Ant!" Happy said, flying over the guild commotion with glee.

The Emerald Knight wilted, knowing they would all take Happy's word over his own.

"Ant, that's a pretty unique name." Another man walked up to the knight. The Emerald Knight immediately didn't like the aura this person set off, with the amount of women gravitating towards him, he seemed just like that Bora man Natsu and he thwarted earlier. He had glasses over his hazel eyes, as well as bright orange hair. He wore a green jacket over his red shirt, baggy black pants and black shoes.

"Unique?" He mirrored.

"Ah!" He backed away from him and skittered back, "Are…are you a celestial wizard?" He gasped.

"No." He said, shaking his head and ignoring the strange behavior.

Mirajane walked over with a little white tea-cup and dish, despite the amount of tables being bashed in and chairs flung, she occasionally took a sip from it and watched an attack be thrown.

"…don't you think it's a little dangerous to be drinking tea out in the open with all this….fighting?" Levy looked up at Mirajane.

"I'll be fine." She beamed, "It seems most of the fighting is located in that portion of the guild." She pointed with a pinky. A bar stool suddenly flew over towards them, they had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. "For now." Mirajane added last minute.

"They had better stop their bickering soon." The Emerald Knight said, "I'm fearful to see what happens if-

"Quiet down, you dolts!" A thunderous voice boomed in the room, freezing everyone in their tracks. The fighting stopped, the laughter quieted down, and everyone's attention went towards the doorway.

The Emerald Knight looked at a dark, hulking monster standing before them. He let out a tiny yell and skittered back, shivering a little. This seemed to be a terrible way on how his life was going to end, but he saw no way out of this.

Mirajane just gave a pleased smile, "Good afternoon, Master. It's nice to finally see you again."

"Ha, ha, ha!" Natsu snickered, "You all give up, well, I win by default-

The 'Master' kicked him with such force that he smashed into the wall, putting an end to his sentence rather early. His eyes then fell on the Emerald Knight, "Hmm?"

The Emerald Knight grew ghastly white, swallowing hard and bracing himself.

The monster shrunk down to the size of a tiny old man, having a big white moustache and white hair, a white shirt with the Fairy Tail symbol in the center, with an orange jacket over it, a striped orange and blue jester hat, and brown pointed shoes, "Nice to meet you." He said in an old, yet energetic voice.

The Emerald Knight panted for a while, putting a hand on his chest plate and feeling a burning sensation in his heart.

The Master jumped up on the balcony, holding a sheet of documents with a stern look on his face, "You've done it again! Just look at these letters from the Council!"

"Gray." He started, looking at the shirtless man, "You saved a town from smugglers, but then you walked around in that same town in the nude, and then you stole underwear right off the clothesline!"

"Well, it was either that or be naked." Gray justified quietly.

"Maybe don't get naked in the first place…?" The burly white-haired man rolled his eyes.

"Elfman." The Master went on, looking at the white-haired man, "You were hired as a bodyguard, but you attacked the person you were supposed to defend!"

"He mentioned something about 'a man being as strong as his education' or something like that…before I knew it…" Elfman muttered.

"Cana Alberona." The Master looked at the drunk girl drinking from the barrel, "You drank fifteen kegs of liquor at a tavern, claimed it as 'expenses' and worse, sent the bill directly to the Council!"

She gave a drunken laugh, "You know I did, Master!" She laughed and pointed at him, as she leaned back, she fell backwards right off the table, causing Levy to face-palm.

"Loke…" The Master sighed, "You seduced the granddaughter of a senior Council member…" Loke didn't make an effort to defend himself. Perhaps he assumed it would be pointless.

"And Natsu…" The Master growled, "In addition to your recent destruction, you leveled half of Hargeon!"

"Alzack…Bisca…" He looked at a man and woman dressed in very western clothing, resembling cowboys, "Levy, Jet, Droy…" He looked at Levy and her two friends, "Reedus, Warren…" He looked at a portly painter and a man with dark skin and a black and orange jacket, "All of you have done nothing but make the Magic Council angry with me!"

There was a silence, the Emerald Knight was very fearful, worrying about the punishment that was going to be doled out.

"But…the council can eat crap for all I care!" He burnt the papers in his hands and fed them to Natsu, "Listen…ours is a power that goes beyond the bounds of reason. But it is born of reason itself. Magic isn't some miracle, it is the energy that flows within ourselves, within our feelings. If you waste time worrying about what authority will think, you'll never advance! So don't let those idiots at the council intimidate you!" People started laughing and cheering, "Follow the path you truly believe in! That is what it means to be a Fairy Tail wizard!" With that, everyone went back to partying and feasting their lives away, the picture of a joyous occasion.

"Hey…Ant…." The drunken Cana reached a hand up, "Wanna….help me up…..?"

"If you ignore her, maybe she'll go away…" Levy whispered, causing Mirajane to giggle.

The Emerald Knight turned to Mirajane, "Do you think he'll let me join the guild?"

"Uh huh." She smiled as she set her teacup down, "Let me go get the stamp." She stifled a laugh, "I assume you'd like it in green."  
He nodded. Any other color would simply bother him.

"Where are you gonna get it?" Levy asked eagerly, her lackeys seemed to be getting slightly peeved at how much attention she was giving him.

He took his left gauntlet off, looking at the back of his hand, "Probably here."

"Ooh, that should look nice." She said, taking a seat at the table Cana was formerly sitting, Jet and Droy sat on either side of her.

Mirajane walked over with the stamp, "Where should I put it?"

The Emerald Knight gently held his fist out, "I've made my decision." He gave a small smile.

She smiled and gently pressed it onto him, the bright green mark matched his armor perfectly. She put the stamp down and hugged him, "I can't wait to work with you here, sir!"

He turned beet red and hugged her back, "Uh…y-yes…thank you Mirajane…"

After Natsu stopped feasting on, mostly fire, he went to the large request board, searching for a job.

"Isn't my daddy back yet?" A little black haired boy asked, he had to have been five years old, at the very least. He was speaking with the Master, who was sitting cross-legged on the wooden counter.

"You worry too much, Romeo." The Master said, "Your father is fine, you just need to do what every wizard's son does and wait patiently for his return."

"But…he said he'd be back in three days…" Romeo sniffed, "And that was a week ago!"

"If I remember correctly, Macao found some work on Mt. Hakobe…"

"Please! Send someone to go look for him!" He begged.

"Your father is a wizard here! Stop worrying and go back home!" The Master shouted.

There was a pause.

"You jerk!" Romeo jumped up and punched him in the face. He then ran off sobbing.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, "My word…"

Natsu was looking at the job he picked, and he just slammed it back onto the board, leaving a huge dent in it. Clenching his fists in rage, he left the guild hall, it seemed he picked a job without even taking a sheet.

"Natsu! You broke the board!" One of his guild mates complained, reading off the board, "Master, I think he's going to try and save Macao!"

The Master shook his head, "That brat never grows up…" He sighed, "Just let him be…"

The Emerald Knight took a deep sigh, getting tired of his chest tightening and loosening from all the rising and falling stress, "A lot seems to end up happening at this guild…"

"Well….we certainly shouldn't blame Natsu for his feelings." Mirajane said, "I'm sure he can understand what Romeo is feeling more than anyone else in this guild."  
"Is that so?" The Emerald Knight asked.

She nodded, "His father, Igneel, disappeared on Natsu when he was very young, and never returned. Without a word, he was abandoned." She said, her usually sweet and pleasant voice now sounding more sorrowful, "He's been searching for him ever since, hoping he's alive out there somewhere."

"You…you mean…that dragon they were looking for was Natsu's _father?_ " His eyes shrunk.

She nodded. "Yes, he is a dragon slayer after all. He learned his magic from a fire dragon."

"A dragon…Natsu's father…forgive me…I have trouble fathoming this all in my head…"

She giggled a bit, "Well, it certainly explains his antics. While he learned fighting, he also learned a little bit of writing and reading, culture, everything a human father would really teach a son."

He blinked slowly, still trying to absorb it all, "That…that's amazing…"

She waved to some guild members that walked in and spat some sort of flirts or welcomes at her, "He's probably out there now, helping Romeo."

The Emerald Knight stood up, "Then I shall aid him."

"That's a great idea. Make sure to have fun." She beamed, "Do your best to stay safe out there!"

"I shall do what I can." He bowed at her, "I will return shortly."

* * *

The Emerald Knight patiently watched through the carriage window, he found it hard to believe that just a few moments ago, he had just joined the most powerful guild in Fiore. He was anxious about whether he could fit in or not, he didn't want his weakness to bring the guild's name shame.

He especially enjoyed the atmosphere of the guild. It was something he was never used to. Chaotic, yes, but also friendly and inviting. He was used to training in the dark for hours in a row surrounded by other soldiers. It was nice to have his base of operations be such a heartwarming place, rather than a cold training camp.

There were definitely a lot of people to keep track of. He was doubtful if he even met half the guild. He was glad there were people there that he already liked, but of course there were people he would rather stay away from. Like Cana and Wakaba. But Mirajane seemed like such a sweet girl. He would have to remember to defend the barmaid with everything he has in the event of a direct attack on the guild. Levy was also quite nice to him, and it goes without saying that he'd easily give his life for Natsu at this point.

"So…why did you come along with us, Ant?" Happy asked, breaking him out of his reverie.

The Emerald Knight looked over at him. Happy was sitting on the floor, while Natsu was lying in his seat, muttering an 'Urp' every now and then, "Perhaps I was moved by your determination to help out a friend." The Emerald Knight said, "It's not like you wouldn't need me, imagine if the carriage was attacked, I would be able to fight fine." He looked at Natsu, "But he doesn't seem to like vehicles too much."

"Aye…Natsu gets motion sick real bad."

The carriage came to a screeching halt, and Natsu sprung up, "It stopped!" He cheered.

"Forgive me…" The person riding the carriage said, "But my carriage can't go any further in this."

 _In this? What does he mean?_ The trio stepped out of the carriage, Natsu more than happy to travel on foot as the carriage departed.

What surprised the Emerald Knight was the blizzard that immediately smacked him in the face. He swore in his head. He should've at least expected that the mountain _could_ be snowy. He lowered his visor, so snow would stop flying into his face. "It…it's very cold…" He shivered, his cold armor not helping him much in that department, "How are you faring so well while wearing so little…ah, wait, you're a fire wizard…never mind…"

Natsu snickered, "If you're chilly, I can light you on fire, just a couple sparks." He held a flame out.

"That…won't be necessary…" The Emerald Knight said, his voice echoed slightly with the visor on his helmet down, "For what reason would Macao even come out here? What did his job entail?"

"You don't know?" He asked, "He came to defeat these huge monsters they call Vulcans."

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, preparing for the worst. _So I assume we'll have to pick up where he left off…hopefully the man is still alive…but…I have no idea how friendly these Vulcans are…_

"Macao, are you out here?" Natsu shouted, "Or did you get beat by a Vulcan?"

A white blur flew from out of the blizzard and attacked the Emerald Knight, hitting him with a fist that was several times bigger than a normal human's.

"It's a Vulcan!" Happy pointed, using his wings to get a better view.

The Emerald Knight grunted, getting up from the snow and squaring off with the beast. It looked like a large primate, with very muscular arms and a black and white coloring, most likely to blend in with the snow.

The Emerald Knight gave a roar, running at the Vulcan with his lance out. The lance sparked with green electricity. Unfortunately, the Vulcan was bit faster than the knight predicted. The Vulcan took a huge jump and landed on the knight from behind, pinning him down, "Nice try…knight…" He taunted in a gruff voice.

Flames came from Natsu's fists, "It can talk?"

"Yes…wonderful, it can talk…now, I could use some help here!" The Emerald Knight yelled.

"I'm coming…" Natsu ran with his flaming fist out, but the Vulcan jumped off the knight and started running away, almost as if he could feel how powerful Natsu was and escaped.

The Emerald Knight got up and shook the snow off himself again, "He's getting away!"

"He won't for long, come on!" Natsu said, leading the way with Happy.

* * *

The Emerald Knight walked into a small snowy cavern, taking a sigh of relief as he put his visor away. Now he was actually able to see clearly. He looked around. _Where did Natsu go?_ All he could remember was that Natsu and Happy went in nearly the opposite direction of the Vulcan, claiming it to be a 'shortcut.' _I swear, if this is the Vulcan's lair, and I have to fight him alone…well…there's no blizzard in here, I think I may actually stand a chance against this monster, I just have to be very careful._

As if to confirm his thoughts, the same Vulcan they fought earlier emerged from his hiding place, running up to the knight with a deadly frontal assault using his fists.

The Emerald Knight held a firm stance and held his shield out. He felt the vibrations of the punches tingle around his entire body as they landed on his shield. He knew his shield was made of emerald, and it never broke before, but he really didn't want to wait around and figure out whether or not it would today. He would need to attack eventually.

"Where's Macao!" Natsu screamed from the entrance, slamming the Vulcan with a fiery fist and sending him flying.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "Thank goodness…"

"Hey monkey…" Natsu looked at the Vulcan as he got up, "Where's Macao?"

"He may not have an answer for you…Natsu…"

The Vulcan grinned and clapped, nodding his head.

"Oh, so we do understand each other." Natsu grinned.

The Vulcan shoved Natsu against the wall, "Stupid boy." The Vulcan turned back to the Emerald Knight.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, it would take some time for Natsu to peel himself off the wall, he ran at the Vulcan, holding up a shield to the mighty beast and defending his blows.

"That's it, you can do it Ant!" Happy cheered as he flew into the cavern.

"Happy…" The Emerald Knight's head jerked upward, "I was wondering where you are…well, it's a good thing you have those wings." He smiled.

"Aye, it's a special magic, called Aera."

"Natsu needs your help. He seems to be stuck in the wall."

"Can you take that thing alone while I'm doing that?"

"I…" He kept skidding back with each punch, the Vulcan would occasionally try to swing a punch around the shield, "Should…just hurry…"

"Why don't you use that pretty sword attack?"

"I need to be further away than this…I need to hold a pose of my lance in the air…if my form breaks, then the attack fails…"

"Don't you know anything else…?"

"Well…you see…Happy…"

Happy turned around and started helping Natsu, "Just hang in there!"

The Emerald Knight was panting more and more, he needed to create a distance from the Vulcan or this fight would be over. He took a great leap back, but the Vulcan was charging on all fours ready to pound him in. He had no time to use the Swords of Retribution. Instead, he opted for a simpler attack.

"Emerald Hawk!" He held his lance up and swung it down abruptly. With a quick flick of the wrist, a green hawk made of part plasma and part emerald flew out and dive bombed the Vulcan, smashing him into the wall.

He was discouraged at how quickly the Vulcan got up, but he expected as much. Happy looked back, "I thought you said Swords of Retribution was your only move…"

"It's my strongest." The Emerald Knight said, "The Emerald Hawk is a basic attack, taught to me when I was young. It's much better as a physical attack, honestly, when the hawk is still imbued in the blade…the further it flies, the weaker it gets."

Natsu freed himself from the icy rubble, shaking all the loose snow out of his head, "Happy, take me up."

"Take you up?" The Emerald Knight mirrored, "You can't handle vehicles but you can have Happy fly you around?"

"What?" Natsu looked at him, "Happy isn't a 'moving vehicle', he's my friend."

"Right…" He gave a quite apologetic nod, "I'm sorry."

"Everyone at the guild is a friend." Natsu said, "Mira, gramps, that annoying guy, Gray…Elfman…"

The Emerald Knight was in awe as Natsu kept listing guild mates, he could only assume 'gramps' meant the Master, then his eyes lit up, "Natsu, behind you!"

Flames lit up around Natsu's foot, and he kicked the Vulcan in the stomach as it ran in for an attempted ambush, "So…if you don't tell me where Macao is, I'll burn you to a crisp!"

The Vulcan fell back, snickered as if he were having a good time and this were only a game. He smashed the cavern walls, causing snow and icicles to fall down upon the trio.

Natsu laughed, "That kinda crap doesn't work on fire!"

The Emerald Knight looked much more nervous. He squatted down and held his shield above himself like an umbrella, "Natsu!" He yelled out, "We have to finish this thing now! Before he buries us in the snow!"

"I'm ready when you are." Natsu grinned.

The Emerald Knight nodded, and they made a break for it while the Vulcan was still pounding on the wall and leaving himself exposed.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

"Emerald Hawk!"

The two of them smashed the Vulcan into the wall, defeating it. Its crumpled body would not move.

"He's done!" Happy jumped up and down and cheered.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "But we were supposed to figure out Macao's whereabouts first, weren't we?"

"Oh yeah…" Natsu said slowly.

A white flash of light went over the Vulcan, and it slowly transformed into a human. He had short dark blue hair, a blue shirt, a big white trench coat, brown pants and shoes.

"Whoa! The monkey was Macao!" Natsu said.

"How…how is that even possible…?" The Emerald Knight asked, stupefied.

"The Vulcan took Macao over." Happy said.

"Took over?" He repeated cautiously.

"Body possession magic."

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, each time he ventured out in this magical world, he learned facets about magic more disturbing than the last.

"Whelp…come on…" Natsu said, slinging Macao over his back, "Let's get outta here."

* * *

They made it off the mountain, but they still had to travel quite a ways to get medical help.

"Natsu…" Macao asked weakly, waking up.

"Hang in there Macao, we're almost there." Natsu said.

"Damn it all…I fought…nineteen of those things…"

The Emerald Knight went pale.

"But the twentieth…took me over…"

"Stop talking!" Natsu snapped, "Save your strength!"

"But I can't…I can't face Romeo…like this…"

The Emerald Knight looked at ground as he walked. _Nineteen Vulcans. To face one, I needed the help from two wizards to even defeat it. I…I'm too weak for this guild…I need to get stronger, right away…or else…I'll end up just like Macao._

* * *

Romeo leaned back against a fence, a few yards away from the guildhall. He sniffed, trying to get rid of his tears. He was angry before, but now, the only thing he seemed to feel is guilt. The truth of the matter was the people kept making fun of him for having a wizard as a father, and to prove them wrong, he more or less coerced his father into taking an intimidating job. He had no idea that he would jeopardize his father's safety.

"Romeo!" A voice called.

Romeo smiled, brushing his tears away, walking down the street, were Natsu, Happy, Macao, and the Emerald Knight. Macao was all patched up and Natsu was helping Macao walk for the time being.

"Daddy…I'm sorry…" Romeo said.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Romeo." Macao hugged his son, "Next time they pick on you, tell 'em, 'did your dad take down nineteen monsters all by himself?'"

Romeo smiled and laughed, now there tears of joy in his eyes.

The Emerald Knight smiled at the reunion, feeling as though all that fighting was more than worth it.

As the heroic trio walked off, he waved, "Thanks Natsu, thanks Happy!"

Not that he expected the boy to remember his name, he was quite surprised to hear, "Thanks Emerald Knight!"

* * *

 **A/N:** How do you think it is so far? Reviews, critiques and other comments are all welcome! Thanks for reading, I really hope you enjoyed it! :)

Additional thanks go out to Svane Vulfbad for sending me such a great review! I really appreciate the feedback. I'll make sure to make a note of your ideas and keep them in mind! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Here's chapter three! Just a quick warning, school is picking up, so these chapters may not be released as quickly as they are now, with school and work in full force, but I will not give up on this fic! I've planned all the details for too long and I'm not turning back. I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

The Emerald Knight sighed as he looked out the window of his tiny, modest cottage. He made it a few weeks ago as a haven to return to from his travels. Luckily for him, it wasn't too far away from Magnolia, the city where the Fairy Tail guildhall resided. It was a modest abode, he built it himself, as he didn't have the money to purchase anything large scale. Made simply of wood and stone, there was a floor with a living room and kitchen, and upstairs there was a bedroom and bathroom.

In a few seconds, he heard a knock on the door, he opened it to see Natsu and Happy, "Yo!" Natsu smiled.

He blinked a few times in confusion, "How did you find where I lived?"

"Oh, that's easy, your scent is pretty simple to remember."

"My…my _scent?_ "

Happy flew around, surveying his new surroundings, "Hey, you're not wearing your armor."

"No, it's hanging up over there." The Emerald Knight pointed. It was hung on one of the living room walls, immaculately, as well as his shield and lance, in fact, the whole place was spotless and clean, which made the Emerald Knight worry all the more as Natsu and Happy began to make themselves at home.

Happy started scratching on one of the walls, "Nice bookshelf." He looked up.

The Emerald Knight sighed and ran a hand through his black hair, buzzed extremely short. His indoor clothing consisted of a simple black tunic, green pants, and black boots, "Yes…Mirajane lent me most of those…she noticed that my knowledge about magic was…how should we put it? Extremely poor…so…that's to help me catch up."

"Ugh…jeez, look at all those books…" Natsu looked at the towering bookcase, "Looks like torture…"

"Aye…" Happy said.

"Torture?" The Emerald Knight asked, "Some people enjoy reading…"

"Are there pictures in there?" Natsu asked.

"…no…"

"Then I'm not interested…"

He sighed, "Why don't I get the two of you some tea?"

After a few minutes of him preparing it, he passed out three cups of tea, "So, did you just come for a visit, or was there something you needed to tell me?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"I think it's pretty cool that you're a knight." Natsu said.

His cheeks went pink, "You…you do?"

"Yeah, you don't really see knights with armor made entirely from a gemstone…the royal army isn't dressed like that at least…"

He took a sip of his tea, "I was…sort of an off-branch of them…our organization was meant to be kept secret…"

"Ooh! Can you tell us about it!" Natsu and Happy leaned over the table with shining grins.

His eyes narrowed in a pained expression, "I just said it was a secret…"

"Aw…" Natsu complained.

"You're no fun, Ant…" Happy said.

"It doesn't even matter who they were…I left their organization anyway…I quit…now I owe them an absurd amount of money…I'm in debt…it's actually a sad story when I put it that way…" The Emerald Knight said.

"Sad and boring Ant." Happy nodded.

"Boring? Where did that come from?" The Emerald Knight half-wilted.

"What do you do for fun?" Natsu asked.

"Read…and train…"

"Yeah, see, that's not really fun."

"It is for me!" The Emerald Knight sighed, "Well, Mirajane made it sound like people had it a lot rougher than me…and I'm very inclined to believe her."

"Ooh!" Happy snickered, covering his mouth with giggles, when the Emerald Knight looked at him for clarification, he said, "He _loves_ Mira!"

The Emerald Knight blushed deep scarlet, "No I don't. She just…seems to have her head screwed on better than most people in the guild…"

Natsu and Happy laughed, Happy snickering something along the lines of not believing the knight in the slightest.

The Emerald Knight took a deep sigh, "Let's change the subject."

"You fought pretty cool on Mt. Hakobe, it was nice to see it in action." Natsu said.

The Emerald Knight smiled, "No, you were the impressive one, your actions have already saved my life on more than one occasion."

"We make a good team." Natsu smiled back.

"Really? Because…I…I'm not very strong…"

"But you're a trustworthy guy."

"Even if you are a little short." Happy said, holding up his paw to indicate a tiny measurement.

The Emerald Knight narrowed his eyes at Natsu, "Natsu, I'm going to put a sign out in front of my house that reads 'no cats allowed.'"

"Lighten up, Ant." Natsu snickered, "I think we should all form a team!"

"Team?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Aye. Everyone in the guild is one group, but they can break into smaller teams to get jobs done that a single person couldn't do." Happy explained.

"I like it." The Emerald Knight nodded with a smile, "Well, if you're willing to have me, I'd love to be on your team."

"Awesome!" Natsu cheered, with Happy jumping up and down.

The Emerald Knight's smile grew during their cheering. _They see someone as weak as me someone who can be a part of their team?_

"We already have a job planned out and everything!" Natsu slapped a flyer down.

The Emerald Knight read the flyer closely, "Get a book out of Duke Everlue's mansion…and get…two-hundred thousand jewel!" His hands shook, "I would be one step closer to shutting up my debt collector with that forever if we succeeded!"

"See? Nice and juicy, right?" Natsu grinned.

"Wait a second…" He looked at the briefing a bit closer. Mister Everlue was portly man in a fancy suit, with brown hair and a very curly brown moustache, "Everlue is looking for a butler? What? Why did you two circle this part so many times?"

To his horror, he turned to see Natsu muttering to Happy, "He's an honorable knight, right?"

Happy snickered and muttered back, "He would listen to people's orders, wouldn't he?"

"Without question!"

"You want me to disguise as a butler?" The Emerald Knight snapped, "I thought we were going to head into battle…I'm not a butler!"

"Aw, come on…it shouldn't be that different from obeying your commanding officers." Natsu said, "Just distract Everlue, and Happy and I will get the book."

"Aye." Happy said, "You can even practice on me. Pretend I'm your master."

The Emerald Knight's eye twitched. These two were going to drive him absolutely nuts, but he would never trade his Fairy Tail life back for his life as a soldier for the royal army anytime soon.

* * *

The Emerald Knight uncomfortably shifted around in his suit on the carriage ride. He wasn't used to wearing fabric outside and in a battle or stealth mission. To him, it just felt weird. Breezes were abruptly cooler than they always used to be, his chest didn't feel as tight, which fooled his mind into thinking that he was supposed to be relaxed, even though they were on a job. It was overall a conflicting mindset he was in. Well, at least he wasn't Natsu right now, he really felt bad for him whenever they took these carriages.

"We're finally here!" Natsu cheered when they got off the carriage, "Now let's go eat something…"

"Natsu…we're supposed to visit the client first…" The Emerald Knight said.

"But I'm hungry…"

"Why don't you just eat some of your fire?"

Natsu gasped as if he offended his great ancestors, "I can't do that! Would you eat your lance or shield?"

"No…I suppose not…"

"So, it's decided, let's eat!" Natsu cheered, with Happy cheering in the background.

Like before, it was a game of avoiding the flying food particles for the Emerald Knight, "Does this suit look good on me?" He asked.

"You look fine." Natsu said, half-indecipherable due to the food he was inhaling.

"Do I look like a butler?"

"Someone's nervous for their first job." Happy grinned.

He sighed, Happy was right. Aside from that Macao mission, this was his first official job for the guild. The last thing he wanted to do was mess up and let everybody down.

After their meal, they went to the client's house, "Whoa…that's a pretty big mansion…" Natsu said.

"It makes sense…" The Emerald Knight said, still feeling naked with his helmet or his armor, "If he's offering us two-hundred thousand jewel, then they must be a rich person."

The interior was just as luxurious as the outside. It was some sort of guest room, a chandelier was suspended on the ceiling, and there were a handful of red sofas farthur around the room. They were quickly greeted by an older gentlemen in a suit with dark hair and a tiny moustache, "Welcome, I requested this job. My name is Kaby Melon. And this is my wife." He gestured to a woman who just walked into the room.

Natsu and the others sat on one of the couches, "You got a tasty name!" He grinned.

"Melon!" Happy cheered in agreement.

The Emerald Knight sighed and shook his head, but he couldn't help but smile as he did so.

Kaby chuckled, "I hear that often." He smiled, "I was surprised that a group from the famed Fairy Tail guild would take my offer."

"I was just surprised that there was such a good job still lying around." Natsu's grin grew.

"May I ask for your names?"

"I'm Natsu the Salamander." Natsu said, "This is Happy." He squeezed his feline accomplice close.

"Ah, I've heard of you." He looked at the Emerald Knight, "What about you?"

"I'm the Emerald Knight." The Emerald Knight said.

"Knight? But you're wearing a suit…oh…" Kaby's face suddenly became sympathetic, "Did…someone in your family recently pass, I'm very sorry…"

"No…it's nothing like that…" The Emerald Knight muttered, being nearly drowned out by Natsu and Happy's laughter, "It's too long and complicated to explain…"

"Now, shall we talk about the job?" Kaby asked.

"Aye!" Happy cheered, as Natsu nodded and the Emerald Knight gave a silent shudder.

"I am only requesting one thing. For you to find a book under Duke Everlue's possession, _Daybreak_ , and to destroy it by any means necessary."

"You don't want us to steal it for you?" Natsu asked.

He considered it, "I suppose, in reality, obtaining someone else's work without compensation and destroying it…is very similar to stealing it…but…"

"This almost sounds too easy. I suppose this Duke Everlue fellow and you have some sort of disagreement, yes? But where does a book play into all of this? How will that help you?" The Emerald Knight asked. He knew better than to be so nosy, but this man's name, Kaby Melon, was starting to resonate with him. He'd been reading so many books Mirajane had given him it was almost giving him a headache, all this wizards and countries and magical skills and war and history.

"Pfft, it's just burning a book." Natsu said, "We'll burn down the whole mansion if we have to!"

"Easy!" Happy agreed.

"I still would like to at least know the task that I am performing, to its full extent." The Emerald Knight said, "Does the book contain dangerous information?"

"Who cares? We're talking two-hundred thousand jewel here!" Natsu said.

"You haven't heard?" Kaby asked.

"Heard what?"

"That I have since increased the award to _two million jewel_."

The trio was silent for a moment or two, most likely contemplating what they could do with all that money.

"Two million!" Natsu sprang from his seat, "Man…I suck at math, but split three ways, that's a lot…"

"I get one million, and you get one million, Natsu." Happy said.

A vein cropped up on the Emerald Knight's forehead, "I think you're forgetting someone in your stellar calculations…" He then turned to Kaby with a serious, almost worried look on his face, "What made you raise the price?"

"Because it's how much I want that book destroyed." Kaby said, "It shouldn't even exist."

"Come on! Let's go!" Natsu ran out, with Happy following closely behind.

"Wait for me!" The Emerald Knight tried to keep up.

"Dear…" Kaby's wife asked once the trio left, "Do you really think it's alright to send guild wizards to do this?"

"It's our only option." Kaby said.

"But we already had two other guilds fail the mission. From Duke Everlue's perspective, this is attempted theft…"

"I know…but still…"

"It's likely after all this time, he's increased his guard, so now it'll probably be harder to get the book."

"I know…but I must erase that book from this world…at all costs!"

* * *

The Emerald Knight knocked on Duke Everlue's door, for possibly the fifth time. He was starting to get annoyed. Everlue's mansion looked even nicer than Kaby's, which checked out, considering how wealthy this Everlue was.

"Hello?" He asked, banging his fist against the door.

A behemoth sprang out of the ground out of nowhere. Wearing customary maid attire, and having pink hair that split off into two pigtails, "You want to be a butler?" It asked in a monstrous voice.

The Emerald Knight turned pale and shuddered, having no idea what he signed up for.

"He saw your ad Master, it's an aspiring butler!" The monster called.

As if this couldn't get any weirder, Everlue himself popped out of the hole, "Bo yo, yo, yo, were you calling me?" He asked.

The Emerald Knight narrowed his eyes. So this was the man who had the dangerous book, _Daybreak._ He was a strange man. The Emerald Knight seemed to have some height on the portly fellow too. A small victory to him already.

"Let's see…" Everlue crept up and started examining the Emerald Knight, not knowing the first thing about personal boundaries, it seemed.

The Emerald Knight stiffened, "Well…you see sir…I…I was interested in being your-

"Don't want you. Go home, ugly!" Everlue waved his hand at him as if he were a fly.

"You heard him, no go home, ugly." The monster said.

"Ugly…?" The Emerald Knight cowered.

"You see, for an important man like me…" Everlue started, and four more maids jumped out from the ground, looking just as ugly, if not, uglier than the first monster, "Only beautiful servants will do! Bo, yo, yo, yo!"

"So true master!" One monster maid said.

"You're so skillful with the flattery!" Another cooed.

"Now, go home ugly, shoo." One waved their hand at the Emerald Knight.

The Emerald Knight laid in the grass for a while after that, in the adjacent yard where Natsu and Happy were waiting to see if the plan worked, "Natsu…Happy…" The Emerald Knight looked at the clouds, starting at the sky, "Am I ugly?"

"Uh-oh…Ant's having his mid-life crisis." Happy said.

He rocketed up to a sitting position, "I'm in my early twenties, that's no old or even the middle of my life at all!"

"Aye. Ant's mid-life crisis, about him being ugly and short…"

He fell back on the grass, "Duke Everlue called me ugly…he won't let me be a butler, we'll have to think of a different plan…"

"Yeah, I got a plan in mind." Natsu smirked, slamming his fist into his open palm.

The Emerald Knight smiled, picking up his lance and shield that he brought from the carriage ride over here. He was going to have to do the entire mission in his suit, as he left his armor at his cottage. Hopefully this will end quickly.

* * *

Duke Everlue sat high and mighty in his big armchair, it almost looked like it would more befit a throne, "It looks like wizards haven't learned their lesson, and more have come. The mark on that brat's hand…so it's Fairy Tail this time…" He snickered for a while, "It was pure idiocy to not cover the mark, now…we've killed wizards before…so I need your best behavior, boys. Bo, yo, yo, yo!" He laughed, as the silhouettes of two dangerous looking men loomed in the background.

* * *

Happy flew Natsu up to the elaborate balcony on the second floor of the mansion, then he did the same with the Emerald Knight.

"Wow…you're a lot less heavy without your armor." Happy said.

"See? I told you that weight was my armor!" The Emerald Knight said as Happy put him down.

"You really are an Ant!"

He sighed, "Well, thanks for the lift, at least."

"Why do we have to sneak around…?" Natsu complained, "I prefer the blow up the mansion and burn everyone to a crisp…"

"I know…but I'd rather try to stealth approach first, especially without my armor. If that fails, you may do as you please."

Natsu shrugged and gently burnt a hole through the glass, it gradually got bigger and bigger until they could all fit.

"Impressive." The Emerald Knight smiled.

"That's Natsu for you." Happy smiled as well.

The entered what looked like to be a storage room, knick-knacks and boxes were all over the floor, "Hmm…" The Emerald Knight said, "It may be a bit more difficult to find this book than I originally thought…how big could this mansion be?"

"Natsu, look!" Happy said, wearing a skull mask.

"That looks great on you, Happy!" Natsu smiled back.

The Emerald Knight looked at the door cautiously, "We're going to have to be very careful when we exit this room, we have no idea what to expect in the hallway…"

Happy creaked the door open gently and looked around, then he turned back at the Emerald Knight, "No one's there."

The Emerald Knight nodded, he smiled, thinking Happy looked cute with that mask on. The three of them left and started sneaking around the second floor.

Natsu gave an annoyed sigh, "This is so boring…are we really gonna look into every freaking room to find the book? Wouldn't it just be faster to grab someone, beat them a little, and get the information out of him?"

The Emerald Knight stopped walking abruptly, almost causing everyone to bump into him, "Actually, that's a pretty good idea."

"I don't know…the stealthy ninja approach is growing on me." Happy said.

"Ooh. Ninja." Natsu said, for some reason, that word seemed to entertain him.

Suddenly the big monstrous pink-haired maid sprang up from the floorboards, with Everlue's squad of ugly maids close behind, "We've found intruders!" The pink haired monster maid shouted.

"Damn it…" The Emerald Knight said, as Natsu and Happy screamed at the sudden fright of five people jumping up from the floor.

"Exterminate them!" The pink haired maid yelled.

Natsu coiled his scarf around his head, so only his eyes could be seen, like a ninja. His arms and legs would burn with fire, as he began to beat the living daylight out of the five maids, with relative ease. The Emerald Knight and Happy watched in awe as he dealt with them.

"We ninja must never be seen!" Natsu said, as the five maids lay defeated, he did a little ninja pose as well.

The Emerald Knight wilted, "Ninja's don't fight like that…"

"Alright, looks like the action route wins after all!" Natsu cheered.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, Duke Everlue had to have known they were there at this rate, "Come on, we need to hurry and find that book!"

"Ooh, I just hope someone else comes to fight us!"

The next room they entered had a lot of books in it, it must've been Everlue's library.

"Jackpot!" Natsu rubbed his hands together, "The book room!"

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

"Hmm…" The Emerald Knight started shuffling through the bookcase, immediately putting a book back the moment he saw that it wasn't titled _Daybreak._ "For a complete imbecile…this man has a rather impressive library…"

"There's no pictures in these books…" Natsu sulked.

"I doubt he actually read these books…" The Emerald Knight mused, still on his own train of thought.

"Books without pictures is just a crime…" Happy shook his head.

"Hey, I found this shiny golden one!" Natsu cheered.

The Emerald Knight grinned when he saw what the book was titled. _Daybreak, by Kemu Zaleon._ "Natsu, that's _Daybreak_!"

"We found it!" Natsu jumped up and down with Happy.

"Now for the burning." Natsu lit one of his hands on fire.

"Wait." The Emerald Knight said, "I know the author…he was a well-known wizard years ago."

"What are you talking about?" Natsu asked.

The Emerald Knight gently took the book, "The books Mirajane gave me…it gave me a little insight on the wizards in Fiore…I know of this man…I knew this whole job was more complicated then it first seemed…"

"Who cares? Let's just burn it."

"Wait." The Emerald Knight said, "This _Daybreak_ scandal has been unsolved for years. I don't think we should burn the book."

"So you're abandoning your first job?"

That stung a little, "No…I…look, just let me skim it…if there's no secret within it, I will let you burn it."

"Bo, yo, yo, yo, I knew it!"

The Emerald Knight went pale, "No…it can't be…"

"It was _Daybreak_ you're after, no surprise at all!" Duke Everlue emerged from by crashing through the floor.

"Damn it." Natsu growled, "This is all your fault, if you just let me burn it, we'd be done by now." He looked at the Emerald Knight.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, "Natsu…I'm sorry…" He said quietly.

"The carpenter for this house must be one rich man…" Happy said.

"So, you're all after that worthless book, just like everyone else!" Duke Everlue said.

"Worthless book?" Natsu wondered.

That didn't seem to add up to the Emerald Knight. Worthless to one man, but to another, it's destruction is worth two million jewel? "Well, it it's so worthless, then we'll take it off your hands." He faced Everlue.

"No! What's mine is mine!" Everlue snapped.

"Then let's just destroy it." Natsu said.

The Emerald Knight looked hesitant, "Natsu…"

"Ant." Natsu frowned, "We have a job."

"I know…I just…want to make sense out of all of this…"

"Now you've made me angry!" Everlue seethed, "I will not allow you to steal my book! Come out, Vanish Brothers!"

A secret entrance revealed itself as two bookcases slid away, "So it's finally time for business?" One of the men said walking through the doorway.

"Mother would scold us for receiving money without working for it." The other man said.

The Vanish Brothers made their appearance. The first brother was in black and white typical samurai attire, with a long black braid down to his ankles. The second brother wore white pants and a purple jacket, he had tanner skin than his pale brother and his hair was blue with four tufts of hair jutting out in different directions.

"Good afternoon." The first brother greeted.

"So these fools are Fairy Tail wizards?" The second brother asked.

"That symbol." Happy said, "That's the mark of the Southern Wolf guild!"

"So you hired these guys?" Natsu looked at Everlue.

"A pink-haired weirdo, a cat, and a tiny man in a suit…" The first brother listed.

"This is already pathetic." The second brother said.

"The Southern Wolf is hungry prepare to die!" Everlue cheered, "Vanish Brothers!" He ordered, "I want that book back! Kill them!"

As predicted, the brothers ran at the Emerald Knight first, seeing as he had the book.

The Emerald Knight jumped back and booked it, running for his life and opening the door to leave.

"Huh? Why is he running away?" Natsu asked.

Duke Everlue narrowed his eyes at the escapee, it seemed the Emerald Knight's earlier talk about a 'secret' seemed to intrigue him.

"Ant, where are you going?" Natsu asked.

"I'm going to find the secret of this book!" The Emerald Knight left.

Duke Everlue growled, "I will find that ugly butler myself, you two, take care of him!" Duke Everlue used the hole he created as a waypoint to escape.

"This is gonna be a huge pain in the ass…" Natsu sighed, "Happy, you better go see if Ant needs any help."

"But you're facing two members of the Southern Wolf guild!" Happy said.

"I can handle these jerks, in my sleep, with one arm tied behind my back, just go."

"What? You jerk!" The second brother snapped.

"Calm down." The first brother cautioned.

Happy smiled, "Take care of yourself Natsu!" He grew wings and flew off.

"Let's go, fire wizard." The first brother said.

"Huh? How do you know that I work with fire?" Natsu asked.

The first brother snickered, "You left many pieces of your handiwork all over the mansion, it was simple to deduce once we saw that."

"It seems the cat has magical abilities as well. It can fly." The second brother said, "Though I'm not sure what the man in the suit can do. He probably doesn't know very much magic seeing how eager he was to run away from us."

"Hey, don't talk about my friends like that." Natsu frowned, fire burned in his fist, "I hope you two jerks are ready to get burned to a crisp."

"Unfortunately for you, that is not going to happen." The first brother said, brandishing out a giant frying pan, "Because I am an expert at handling fire wizards."

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **A/N:** What do you think? Aren't cliffhangers fun? Once the arcs get longer, these will be much more commonplace. :)


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Here's chapter four! Please enjoy the ending of Duke Everlue (I know I will…)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"I understand that you Fairy Tail wizards would be under the false impression that you were one of the most powerful ones around." The first brother said, holding his frying pan out in a ready position.

"Sure, we've all heard the rumors." The second brother said, "You rank high among wizard guilds. Very high, in fact."

"But wizards…" The first brother started.

"Have a natural weakness against professional fighters like us!" The second bother finished with a smile.

"Oh jeez, are you guys done with your little poem yet?" Natsu held out a taunting hand, "Come on, I'll beat both of you at the same time, guaranteed."

"Brother, I think this guy is seriously mocking us." The second brother said.

"He is a fire wizard. I specialize in fire wizards." The first brother said, as if them losing would be a mathematical impossibility.

The two brothers lunged at Natsu, quickly cornering him. The first brother swung his frying pan around, mercilessly trying to smack Natsu into the floor, while the second brother let his huge fists do the talking. Natsu was quick, however, and he dodged their attacks. They seemed to be hitting the mansion much more than they were hitting their opponent.

"You sure you want to destroy your client's house like this?" Natsu snickered.

"Do you know what a wizard's weakness is?" The first brother asked, unmoved by the mindless damage he was causing.

"Motion sickness!" Natsu gasped.

"Uh…that sounds more like a personal weakness…" The first brother cocked an eyebrow, "It's how their bodies are built! Magic requires the training of one's nerves and wisdom."

"That means anyone trying to be a wizard doesn't have time to train their bodies!" The second brother said.

"Therefore we, those who spend our days forging our bodies…" The first brother said, "Are well ahead of you in terms of strength and speed."

"A long time ago, a wizard said something…" The second brother said, "He said it takes years for a wizard to learn a curse to break an enemy's bones." He snickered with delight, "We faced off against that wizard, and before he could say his curse, I attacked! I broke _his_ bones instead! He spent years learning something I that could do in seconds with my bare hands!"

"Those are the limits of wizardry." The first brother said.

"Their bodies are left weak against true fighters like us." The second brother smirked.

"Pfft, okay…" Natsu snickered for a while, amused slightly by their theatrical story, "But I'm still standing here. I thought you were supposed to be super-strong bodyguards, why haven't you beat me, or even hit me, then?"

"True…you are fast…I'll give you that." The first brother said, "You seem to be much more physically fit than most wizards we fight…"

"Let's step our game up a little then." The second brother said.

"Combined attack!" Both brothers said, as the larger second brother jumped on the surface of the first brother's frying pan.

"These are your last moments to laugh, brat!" The second brother snapped, "You're about to find out why people call us the Vanish Brothers!"

"We vanish…and we make _others_ vanish." The first brother said.

Natsu rolled his eyes, he still looked like he had yet to be impressed by these two.

"Heaven and Earth Elimination Attack!" The first brother flung the second brother high in the air.

"And while you look towards the heavens…" The first brother said, "I come at you from the earth!" He smacked Natsu with his frying pan while he was looking at the brother in the air. Natsu screamed and fell back.

"And while you look towards the earth…" The second brother sailed downward, true to his word, Natsu was looking at the first brother who just hit him. "Heaven attacks from above!" He crashed into Natsu, crushing him into the ground.

The second brother hopped back, "If one brother vanishes from the opponent's view, then they always lose!"

"Thus, we have presented the Heaven and Earth Elimination Attack!" The first brother said, "None of our enemies who have felt it have ever gotten-

Natsu got up.

Both brother gasped, this was impossible, he was zombie, right?

"What were you guys blabbing about?" Natsu cracked his neck.

"That's impossible!" The first brother shuddered.

"Is this guy really a wizard?" The second brother swallowed hard.

"Prepare yourself." Natsu snickered, taking a deep breath, "Fire Dragon's Roar!" He spewed fire at the brothers which enveloped the whole room. Strangely, the two brother looked _happy_ that such a lethal attack was coming their way.

"Here it comes!" The second brother grinned, as if their salvation had arrived, "Fire magic!"

"This ends here!" The first brother agreed. He held his frying pan out, which absorbed all of the fire, "Flame Cooking!"

"What the-?" Natsu asked.

"My frying pan absorbs all of your fire." The first brother said, "And doubles its power. To spit it back out, right back at you!" Sure enough, the flames billowed and shook, rising and growing in strength on the first brother's pan. They fired themselves back at Natsu.

"And the fairy gets fried!" The second brother laughed and laughed, "A perfect dinner for wolves!"

"Farewell." The first brother said, "You have sealed your fate. The stronger your fire, the greater your downfall."

Natsu had a huge grin on his face, instead of taking damage from the fire, it just seemed to wrap around his body harmlessly, with his new boost, he charged at the brothers.

"What?" The first brother panicked.

"You mean fire doesn't work on him?" The second brother panicked.

Natsu grabbed both of their faces, "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Searing flames from Natsu's arms slashed through the brothers, incinerating them until they were out of commission and motionless on the ground. Both brothers twitched and muttered something along the lines of it was impossible for them to be beaten.

"Now, to go find Ant." Natsu left the room. Little did he know that a certain pink-haired monster awoke from its slumber.

* * *

The Emerald Knight continued skimming through Daybreak as fast as he could. He was sitting against the wall in one of the underground levels of the mansion. Earlier he had found a pair of magic glasses. In one of the books Mirajane had given him, it stated that those glasses could help a person read a book much faster than usual, so he used them to help finish reading the book. He sighed and put the book and the glasses aside, holding his head and grimacing. The glasses also seemed to give headaches to its first-time users.

 _I was right._ He thought. _There is a huge secret inside this book._ But what was the point? Their job was to destroy it. He was blatantly refusing his job, not to mention that Natsu was furious with him. He shuddered, he never crossed Natsu before and now he was never more terrified. Not to mention what the rest of the guild will think if they return _not_ completing his first big job. Here he was, happy he wasn't trained with fellow emotionless soldiers day in and day out, and he seemed ready to throw it all away? How was he going to make it up to Natsu?

He had to bring it back to Kaby first, he just had to. There was something the man needed to see. There was a secret within the book.

"Bo, yo, yo, yo! A secret you say?" Duke Everlue popped out of the wall, giving the Emerald Knight an aggressive head-butt with his accumulated momentum.

The Emerald Knight growled in pain, having trouble standing straight after the charge attack on his back. Curse his luck, if he were wearing his armor, he would've barely felt it, but now his back screeched with pain every time he moved.

"Tell me what you've found!" Everlue threatened, standing opposite of the knight.

The Emerald Knight drew his lance and held his shield out, keeping the book safe by tucking it within his jacket, "I'm afraid not."

"Oh, come now, tell me the secret of the book!" Everlue said, "What is it? A fortune? A treasure map?"

"Someone as horrible as you will never be blessed with this book's secret." The Emerald Knight said.

"Horrible? How dare you." Duke Everlue said, "I am a high class aristocrat, that's the opposite of horrible!"

"Not in your case."

He growled, "Fine, I suppose violence is the only language you'll understand." He burrowed in another hole, only to reappear elsewhere and stage a surprise attack.

The Emerald Knight blocked his attacks with his shield, "You're going to pay for what you've done." He kept trying to pierce the man with his lance, but Duke Everlue was a bit more slippery than he expected.

Everlue dug another hole, and right when he was about to pounce on the Emerald Knight, Happy flew in and smashed into his face, knocking Everlue off balance and stopping his attack.

"Happy!" The Emerald Knight grinned.

"What kind of cat are you?" Everlue glared at his new flying nemesis.

"The tables have more than turned, Everlue." The Emerald Knight said, "Allow me to leave with this book and I'll think about letting you live to tell the tale."

"Bo, yo, yo, yo…" Everlue snickered, "I thought you were an accomplished reader, but I suppose I was wrong. 'The tables are turned' is used when a superior tactic turns inferior." He started sinking in the ground, "Adding a stupid cat to your team won't protect you from my diver magic!"

"Oh…so it was magic…" Happy said.

The Emerald Knight jumped back when Everlue surfaced, "I can't believe I had to read this dreck of a novel! It's an adventure story where Duke Everlue is the protagonist!"

"The idea of having me as a hero is a wonderful idea!" Everlue said, "But the execution was wrong! To think that Kemu Zaleon could write such a load of dung is insulting to me!"

"Of course it's going to be poorly written!" The Emerald Knight snapped, "When you force your writers to write about your conceited self, one can only assume that the product will reek of resent and hatred to the handler that forced them to write the product in the first place!"

"It should be an honor for him to write about me!"

"You blackmailed him into writing it." He narrowed his eyes.

"Blackmail?" Happy repeated, shocked.

"So what if I did?" Everlue smiled, "It's his own fault for refusing to do so in the first place!"

"So he denied to write a story starring you, did he?" The Emerald Knight gave an amused smile, "That gives him basic common sense."

"I ordered him to write a book starring me as a hero, and the idiot refused!" Everlue said, "So I was kind enough to inform him…if he didn't write it, I'd simply revoke his writes of citizenship for him and everyone connected to his family!"

"That's messed up…" Happy said, "Without citizenship, you can't join guilds, and without guilds, it's really hard to make money…"

"So that makes you just as crooked as they come…" The Emerald Knight said.

"It doesn't matter!" Duke Everlue said, "The upstart wrote it for me in the end anyway!" He said, "But naturally his previous refusal annoyed me, so I had him write it in solitary confinement. Bo, yo, yo, yo! I'll take any fool that calls himself an 'accomplished writer' and I'll break him!"

"You put him in solitary confinement for three years…just to boost your ego?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Three years?" Happy swallowed hard.

"Three years he spent toiling in the dungeon! He had to write this drivel in order to save his family, to protect them from you stripping their citizenship! He had to make you a hero, soiling his integrity of a writer in the process." He looked at Happy, "That's why I almost tarnished the job we took. I thought there was more to this job than what we were given, and I was correct…I just hope Natsu can forgive me to doing all of this…"

Everlue growled, "Where are you getting all of this information from? It sounds neither here nor there."

"It's all in the book, plain as day." The Emerald Knight said.

"What?" Everlue asked, "I read that book cover to cover, many times, and Kemu Zaleon isn't even in it!"

"Read normally, it's nothing but utter rubbish." The Emerald Knight half-smiled, "He was a wizard as well as an author, was he not?"

"What…don't tell me…"

"He put a spell on the book."

"What? You're saying he secretly wrote about how much he hated me?"

He cocked an eyebrow, "A bit bigger than that…"

"What? What's the secret Ant?" Happy asked.

The Emerald Knight held his lance out, "For another time. We've both spoken for long enough. It's time I finish this." A hawk flourished itself around the lance, "Emerald Hawk!"

Everlue dodged it just in time, he looked seriously worried. Being the crooked politician he was, he probably couldn't let the secret of Kemu Zaleon leak out to the public, "You will never escape here alive!" He resolved, he held a golden key out, "Open, gate of the maiden, Virgo!" A chime could be heard, as a portal opened.

"He's a celestial wizard?" Happy asked.

"So this is how celestial magic works." The Emerald Knight said.

The big pink-haired monster maid rose from the ground, "You called for me, master?"

"Virgo, steal that book back!" Everlue shouted, "I don't care if you need to take it from his corpse, just do it!"

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard. If he thought that one punch from a Vulcan was impressive, Virgo was at least twice its size.

Natsu peeked out from behind Virgo's shoulders, giving a grin once he saw that his friends were safe.

"How are you on Virgo?" Everlue snapped.

"Natsu?" The Emerald Knight and Happy asked.

"Oh, hey guys." Natsu chuckled, "I saw her wake up after I dealt with those stupid brothers, so I held onto her to see if she would lead me somewhere."

"Amazing." The Emerald Knight said, "I read that celestial wizards need to first go through a portal to their world before connecting through the gate their master called them. Humans aren't even supposed to survive in their world…and here we have Natsu who went right through it." He snickered, "Natsu is always doing the impossible."

"Virgo, kill them all!" Everlue screeched.

"Natsu, if you handle Virgo, I'll take care of Everlue!" The Emerald Knight said.

"Got it." Natsu said, cloaking his fist in fire and pummeling the maid.

Everlue began to sink into one of the many holes he created.

The Emerald Knight was sick of this. His back was killing him, his head hurt, and if he was going to be in a suit for another minute, he'd throttle someone, "You're not getting away this time, Emerald Hawk!" He fired out a bird at Everlue, slamming into his legs and tripping him, "That's not all. Swords of Retribution!"

As Natsu knocked a singed Virgo to the ground, Everlue was pierced with twelve plasma swords. Aside from occasional twitching, the 'aristocrat' would not be moving anytime soon.

"Ha, ha, ha!" Natsu laughed, "You took Everlue out!"

The Emerald Knight smiled, looking at the book he hid in his jacket, now it was time to see if he would be able to make sense of the secret in this book.

"That's how a Fairy Tail wizard would do it, huh?" Natsu kept snickering.

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

* * *

The Emerald Knight looked at the book as they made their way back to Kaby's mansion, "This is a book that Duke Everlue forced Kemu Zaleon to write. It's…a rather terrible adventure that centers on a hero named Duke Everlue. It's so horrid, actually, that I doubt people would think Zaleon would write such a thing…"

"And…?" Natsu asked.

"And there's a secret within the book. I'm interested to see what Kaby will think of this."

They met with Kaby, when the Emerald Knight handed the book to him, Kaby looked confused, "What…what is the meaning of this? I told you I wanted that book destroyed."

The Emerald Knight was nervous. First Natsu berated him for disobeying the mission, and now their very own client. Perhaps he should just end this futile quest to find out the secret to the book and burn it already.

"Then destroy it." The Emerald Knight handed him the book, "I'm just surprised that's the course of action you want to take."

"What do you mean?" Kaby asked, holding the book in his hand, "I made it clear how much I wanted it destroyed, that was the job."

"He's your father, isn't he?" The Emerald Knight asked.

There was a silence.

Kaby went pale.

"I know why you hate the book so much, because your father wrote it, is that correct?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"How…how did you know that?" Kaby asked.

"Did you read the book?"

"Never. I only heard of it…I could never bring myself to read it." He said, looking quite downcast, he then seethed, "But there's no point in reading it. Even father said it was nothing but a load of trash!"

"That's why you want to burn it?" Natsu asked.

"Correct."

"What? Just because it's so boring you want to burn it? That's going too far! This is something your father wrote with his own hand! Some people would kill for that kind of chance!" Natsu raged, the Emerald Knight had never heard him get so mad.

The Emerald Knight winced, but, he expected as much from Natsu. At least now his abandoning the mission would at least make some sense to his friend.

"Yes." Kaby said, "The fact that my father wrote _Daybreak_ brought shame onto his name. Over thirty years ago, my father appeared from a three year absence. He declared that he would never write a book ever again. That book _Daybreak_ would be his last, he was so regretful at writing that book that he never wanted to write again. But the truth of the matter is he abandoned his family for three years to write a horrible novel with Duke Everlue as a hero, that old, fat, pervert." He clenched his fists, "I was furious with him. I never forgave him, even when he died, I was still bitter with rage. But…soon after…that anger turned into regret. If I hadn't raged against my father…perhaps things would be different." He got a match out, "So…to atone for this, I'll burn his greatest embarrassment. I'll destroy my father's final work to restore his honor."

"Wait, don't do it!" The Emerald Knight held a hand out.

He lit the match, "I'm sure father would want this too."

The book suddenly flashed with a brilliant light, "What…what's going on?" Kaby asked.

The word _Daybreak_ floated in the air and the letters began to rearrange all by themselves.

"Whoa! The letters are moving!" Happy said.

"I believe Kemu Zaleon's real name was Zekua Melon. He cast a spell on this book." The Emerald Knight said.

"A spell?" Kaby repeated.

When the letters eventually on the cover stopped moving, Kaby gasped, "Dear Kaby?"

"Yes, his spell arranged the letters in a different order." The Emerald Knight explained, as the book flung open and every line of text began to shift position, "Once the letters merge into their original pattern, the secret of your father will be a bit clearer."

"Whoa…" Natsu said.

"It's pretty." Happy said, and the two of them started playing with the letters that sprayed out of the open book.

"He didn't stop writing because he wrote something awful. Quite the opposite. He wrote a letter to his son." The Emerald Knight said as the book finished converting over to its natural state.

Kaby fell to his knees, teary-eyed and clutching the book for dear life, "Father…I never understood…forgive me…"

The Emerald Knight smiled, "I hope you enjoy reading the story in the way it was meant to be viewed."

"Then I guess we can't accept the payment, huh?" Natsu laughed.

"Nope!" Happy said.

"What?" Kaby asked.

"Our mission was to destroy the book." Natsu said, "We failed to carry it out."

"But…but please…let me pay you something…for being such a great help."

"We can't accept your reward, keep it." Natsu said.

The Emerald Knight smiled. Part of him wanted that money very badly, to keep his debt collector away for a good while, especially after all the trouble he had gone through, but he could respect Natsu's reasoning.

Natsu looked at Happy and the Emerald Knight, "Whelp, time to go home."

* * *

"Natsu…" The Emerald Knight asked quietly, "Are you still cross with me for what I've done?" He asked as they headed home on foot.

Natsu looked at him, "I don't remember, did you do something?"

"I…I complicated the mission…I thought you were mad…"

"Nah, it's fine. Stuff happens." Natsu patted him on the back, "Aren't we buddies? Crap like that doesn't matter."

"Yes…yes we are." The Emerald Knight looked at the emblem on the back of his hand, "We're a team."

* * *

 **A/N:** So how's Team Natsu without Lucy? What are your thoughts on the Emerald Knight? Let me know with a review! Thanks for reading, it really means a lot to me!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Here comes chapter five! Hope you enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

The Emerald Knight took a satisfied sigh, he was never happier at wearing his armor once again, after that big mess at Everlue's mansion.

"I wonder what job we should pick next." Natsu looked at the board with Happy.

"You should ditch that clown and join me for a job, Ant." Gray joked, snickering.

"What was that, stripper?" Natsu confronted him.

"You heard me." Gray growled, sure enough, a brawl would start between them in mere seconds.

"Maybe you should join me, what do you think?" Loke asked, but since he was so terrified of the Emerald Knight, he was nearly on the other end of the guildhall.

"I can't hear you…" The Emerald Knight said.

"Did you run into any problems on your mission?" Mirajane asked as she walked over, setting down a tray of warm soup, bread and a mug of booze on a tray in front of him.

"Yes. Many." He sighed, politely sipping a small spoonful of soup, "I still have a headache from those gale-force reading glasses…I suppose they may be a lot to handle for first-time users…"

"Oh, I'm sure Levy would be able to give you some tips about using those. She wears them practically every day." She giggled a bit.

"Oh, is that so?" He looked back at Levy, sitting at another table, "How interesting. I have a similar affinity for books. I'll have to remember that the next time we have a discussion."

"I hope the miniature library I lent you was enough."

His cheeks blushed a faint pink, "Oh yes, if I didn't read any of those books, I don't know how I would make it out of that mess still in one piece."

She laughed a bit more, then heard calls from Wakaba, "I should go serve the others." She said as she took the tray under his food, "If you wanted to chat at any point of the day, I'll be by the bar." She smiled sweetly as ever and went to serve Wakaba.

As the Emerald Knight ate by himself, he heard someone calling him, then turned to see Levy again. She was sitting with Jet and Droy, reading a book on the table, "Hey, you should come sit with us." She said sweetly, all to Jet and Droy's discomfort.

The Emerald Knight got up and sat across from Levy, he smiled, "After the job Natsu, Happy and I just did, I think I might take a break from reading for a while…"

She giggled a bit, "Why is that?"

"That _Daybreak_ book…ugh…let's just say it's more complicated than I would ever anticipate."

"I bet Levy would've solved it just like that." Jet snapped his fingers.

"Levy's a badass bookworm alright." Droy smiled.

Levy blushed a bit, "I'm not too sure about that…" She muttered, "I wanted to take that job for myself, but Natsu snatched it right under my nose. It was surprising at first, jobs with reading or books don't usually seem to be Natsu's forte, but I guess since you were on his team he was willing to make an exception."  
The Emerald Knight laughed, "Yes, he did more of the fighting…I was their scholar…so to speak…"

She nodded and laughed, "So…I have a silly question, you'll have to forgive me." She sat up a bit, then leaned in, "Happy said your name was Ant…but something tells me that isn't right…and usually it's the look on your face that gives it away."  
He looked nervous at the sudden attention, "No…it was a nickname he made up…I have to admit it had grown on me…"

"Really? So….if I called you Ant, you wouldn't be offended? Cause…I'm kinda short too, I understand how it feels."  
"No, of course not."

"Okay, good to know." She said as she looked at the slowly progressing guild brawl. "There sure seems to be a lot of these now without the Master or Erza here…"  
"The Master isn't here?"

"He's at another meeting." Levy said, "It's like every day those council meetings keep popping up." She said, then she looked over at the brawl again, "I guess I really can't blame them…if this is the sort of destruction that happens when we're relaxed…just goes to show how being in battle with us is a whole lot worse…."  
"Yes…I've already seen Natsu in action plenty of times…I suppose the Master wasn't kidding when he said the council was out to get us."

"Nope…" She put her glasses on and sat back a bit, "It's a good thing I usually take the jobs with the least amount of destruction…like…translating texts…Master doesn't usually get upset with those…"

Mirajane walked over, "Here's your tea, Levy." She handed her a mug.

"Thanks Mira." Levy smiled, "Do you know when the Master will be back to deal with them?" She pointed to the brawlers.

"Hmm…there's no saying." Mirajane said, "Depends on what the other guilds have to say about us."

Levy sighed, "This is why I would never want to be Guild Master. Or at least of this Guild."

"I don't know if I'd be able to handle it either." Mirajane confessed.

"Of course you would." Levy smiled, "Who are you trying to kid?"

"Shh…" Mirajane shushed gently, "If my brother catches wind of this conversation, he might get a little too rowdy…"

Levy laughed a bit, "Yeah, I guess you're right! He'd love the idea of his big sister leading the guild!"

"These meetings the Master goes on, what do they entail?" The Emerald Knight looked at Mirajane.

"Well, usually all the masters of the guilds in Fiore get together at some point or another to discuss all sorts of things…current events, finances, plans for the future, that sort of thing. Then there are the Magic Council meetings, those involve the Magic Council speaking with one or two guilds…those are usually more unpleasant. I believe the master is at a guild meeting, or else he would have been much grumpier last night."

"What does he do when he's grumpy?" Levy asked.

Mirajane didn't fail to give her big warm smile, "He gets drunk and hits on me."

Levy put a hand over her mouth and laughed.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, "So…are there a lot of guilds in Fiore?"

"There's countless." Mirajane said, "Well…I say countless, because there are dark guilds as well, which can be formed without acceptance from the Magic Council."  
"Yes." Natsu crept up and put a hand on the Emerald Knight's shoulder, "Beware the dark ones!" He hissed.

The Emerald Knight screamed and nearly fell out of his chair.

Natsu and Happy laughed, "Didn't know you were so easy to scare, Ant!" Natsu said.

"Don't sneak up on me…" The Emerald Knight muttered, "How did you slip away from your fight with Gray?"

"Gray? Beating me? Come one Ant, let's get realistic here."

"Natsu has a point. The dark guilds are nothing to sneeze at." Mirajane said, "There are some of them that are quite weak, but there are others that could surely contest with Fairy Tail."

Levy nervously sipped out of her tea.

"They're usually where most of the world's crime comes from." Happy added.

"Guys, it's terrible!" Loke said from the doorway.

"What? Is it a dark guild?" The Emerald Knight asked, thinking it a little too coincidental for a dark guild to attack right as they were done speaking about it.

"Worse! Erza's coming back!"

"Who's Erza?" The Emerald Knight asked.

Natsu went pale, "She's extremely powerful…and scary…she could _breathe_ and level three mountains…"

Gray nodded, in nothing but his underwear, "She's some kind of monster…"

Too many things were surprising the Emerald Knight at once, "Natsu… _you're_ quivering in fear for this Erza? And she's so terrifying that you two aren't even fighting anymore? How bad is this woman? And Gray, where did all of your clothes go?"

"Nothing new there." Cana twirled Gray's shirt around one of her fingers and flung it over at him into his face.

"It's a good thing they stopped fighting…" Levy said quietly as she stuck her nose in her book, mostly to hide, "Let's just put it that way."

"She would never hurt another guild member." Mirajane said to ease his nerves, then she paused, "She would never kill another guild member." She corrected.

"Yeah, one time, Natsu challenged her to a fight, and she beat the crap out of him." Macao said, "And then she caught Gray walking around naked, and she beat him up too." He said, as the shirt in Gray's face slipped off and pelted the floor.

"She's not that bad to look at, either." Wakaba said, "She's got a nice rack…"

"Maybe…under all that armor…"

"What are you talking about, it's there."

"I mean…yeah…"

"Huh…I guess you're not a chest man."

"Not to your extent…"

"So what are you into then, cabooses?"

The Emerald Knight took a huge sigh, "I get it. She's…prettier, than the average girl…"

They saw a silhouette in the doorway, it seemed to be feminine, despite the chunks of what one could assume to be armor that were jutting out from her arms and shoulders. The thing that everyone's eyes were focused on was the giant white cone-shaped object she had in her hands, over her head. It was the size of at least two grown bears, as she walked inside, she put it on the ground in front of everyone, with a _thud_ so loud, it shook the entire guild. "I've returned." She said, her voice was deep, serious, but smooth.

She had long, straight, bright red hair that went down her back, as well as dark eyes that darted around to everyone in the guild. She was wearing silver armor, as well as silver gauntlets that covered her hands and arms up to her elbows. There was a golden band of color across the chest, and another band that ran down perpendicular to the other one, imprinted into the armor. She had a short dark blue skirt as well that fell to her mid-thigh, and a pair of black boots that reached her knees.

The object behind her almost looked like a giant tooth, with a golden and blue band wrapped around the bottom.

Erza's eyes scanned the counter, "Where's the Master?" She asked.

"He's at a meeting right now." Mirajane said, carrying trays of dirty dishes.

"I see…" She mused, clearly unhappy with that answer.

The Emerald Knight was nervous, he stood a little closer to Mirajane, feeling the safest around her at all times, even though she was a defenseless barmaid.

"Hey Erza, what's that giant thing you got there?" Macao asked, pointing at the cone.

She put an armored hand on it, "It is the horn of a beast I slayed for the local villagers. They requested I take this as well as my reward money for completing the job."

"Shouldn't we move it so it isn't in everyone's way?" Cana cocked an eyebrow.

"Is it bothering you, Cana?" She asked, her eyes as sharp as blades.

Cana looked back at her barrel of booze and drank from it.

Erza sighed and looked around, "I've only heard bad things about the guild since I've left. Lots of destruction and bad behavior." She said firmly, then turned back to Cana, "I think you've drank enough for today. Enough for a month, really."

Cana sighed and put down her barrel.

"Wakaba." She turned to the elder wizard, "Not only is your smoking habit making this place reek, your sick mind is as well. I don't want to hear another perverted statement from your mouth aimed at any other wizards in this guild. We are a family, it must stay that way."

Wakaba blinked slowly, "So…can I flirt with people in other guilds?"

The Emerald Knight smacked his forehead.

One of Erza's eyebrows twitched, "If I catch you, I promise I won't be forgiving. That goes for you to, Loke." She glared over at him.

Loke nervously nodded, holding a thumbs-up.

Erza rubbed one of her temples, "I always have to clean up all the messes around here, don't I?" She mused, pausing for a moment before she said, "Ah, I almost forgot. I need to speak with Natsu and Gray." She finally looked up.

"Hello Erza." Gray said, both he and Natsu faking smiles, "Natsu and I have matured a lot since you were gone. We've finally become very good friends and we'll never fight again."

"Aye." Natsu agreed.

The Emerald Knight was shocked. Was Erza _this_ terrifying?

"Well, that's welcome news to me." She gave a soft smile, "I'll have to see just how friendly you've become, because I have a request for both of you."

"Request?" Natsu and Gray asked.

"There's a very important job I've overheard about on my last job. Very dangerous. I would like you two to assist me. That won't be a problem, right?"  
"No, no, of course not Erza, we'd love to come." Gray said.

"Aye." Natsu said.

"Wow…Erza's never asked for help before…" Macao whispered.

"If fighting Erza alone was bad…imagine facing Natsu and Gray with her at the same time…" Wakaba said.

"I think this might be Fairy Tail's strongest team…" Mirajane mused, completely amazed.

"Wonderful." Erza smiled and put an arm around both Natsu's shoulders and Gray's shoulders, "This should be exciting, the three of us together."

* * *

Deep within the dark forest, was a wretched guildhall, old and decaying, a sign nearby said _Eisenwald_. The guild members inside seemed to resemble a rag-tag gang more than a civilized society, already showing how opposite this guild was to normal, official guilds.

"What guild was that pretty redhead chick from?" One of the guild mates asked, he had tanned skin, green pants, and a yellow jacket that was striped with black up near the hood over his head, making him look like a pharaoh.

"I don't know." Another guild mate said. He was short and fat, and puffy green hair, and no nose. He wore a red jacket, green pants, and a giant necklace around his neck that consisted of metal disks being held together by a rope.

"Damn…I really wanted to ask her out." A third guild mate said. He wore blue pants, an orange jacket, black hair with a tuft sticking up in the front, and whiskers.

"You wouldn't have stood a chance." The green haired man said.

"What'd you say?" The man in the orange jacket snapped.

"Is Kageyama not back yet?" A cold, serious voice asked. When he spoke, everyone looked at him and conversation immediately silenced, he clearly led this wolf pack. He had wild silver hair, with most of it sticking up, but a small deal of it hanging down in front of his left eye. There were two black tattoos that came out of the bottom of his eyes, lines going down with horizontal lines crossing through it, and a blue spiral tattoo was all over his bare chest and shoulders. He had a black Japanese style torn skirt around his legs, and sandals, as well as a black scarf around his neck.

"Come on boss, it'll take him longer than that." The pharaoh said, "It's not easy breaking a seal."

"We can't afford to waste any more time!" Their leader said, brandishing a scythe, "It's time to end this." He said, leading the rest of his guild almost like an army, "Now, while those old fools hold their meeting!"

* * *

It didn't exactly take long for Natsu and Gray to start bickering once the group of them reached the Magnolia Train Station.

"Why does Erza need your help, I'm plenty!" Natsu snapped.

"She can have you, then I won't have to be stuck with you for this whole job!" Gray said, wearing a full set of clothes this time, surprisingly. He was wearing black jeans and a white trench coat over his shirt, but who knows how long those would stay on.

"Pfft, I don't want to go either! You can't just weasel your way out of this!"

"Then go ahead and quit, I'll just tell Erza and she'll kill you!"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen…" The Emerald Knight stood in between them, "Let's give peaceful coexisting a try, shall we?"

"Ant, when did you get here?" Natsu smiled.

"Mirajane said you two would try to kill each other repeatedly so she sort of send me as a mediator…"

"Aw…" Happy said, "Mira and-

The Emerald Knight slapped a hand over Happy's mouth before he could continue commenting.

"Your name is Ant?" Erza cocked an eyebrow, "That's rather unusual."

"Well…" The Emerald Knight started, but he removed his hand from Happy's mouth, which turned out to be a mistake, because Happy shouted, "Uh-huh, it sure is!"

"Hmm…" Erza smiled and looked back at him, "Does it have a different meaning where you're from? Assuming you're from somewhere else." She looked over his armor.

"It's a long story…I used to be a part of Fiore's national army, to be honest." The Emerald Knight said, feeling quite embarrassed.

Meanwhile, Natsu and Gray started arguing once the Emerald Knight and Erza began some small talk.

"Why do you always carry that thing around with you?" Gray nudged Natsu's bag.

"It's to sleep on. What are you, an idiot?" Natsu snarled.

They then noticed that Erza was looking in their general direction, "Oh boy, we're so ready to get on the train, us friends!" Gray cheered.

"Aye!" Natsu agreed.

Erza sighed and turned back to the Emerald Knight. "They think I'm a complete idiot. I'm just hoping if I go along with it, it'll come true." She muttered under her breath.

"Erza wait." Natsu said, "I'll go on this job with you. Under one condition."

"Condition?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"You idiot!" Gray said, "Are you trying to die?"

"Yes, what is it?" Erza asked.

"After we finish this job, I want a rematch with you." Natsu grinned.

"What? Do you have a death wish?" Gray asked.

"Rematch?" Erza said, then she smiled, "Yes, I suppose if we have time."

"Alright! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu cheered.

The second the train they got on started to move, Natsu flopped into the nearest seat and was immobile, "Urp…"

"You're honestly pathetic Natsu…" Gray sighed, "One second, you're picking a fight, and the next, you're trying not to puke your guts out…"

"I usually feel bad for him when this happens." The Emerald Knight said quietly.

"I know how to make him feel better." Erza said, "Bring him over here next to me."

Gray and the Emerald Knight exchanged a glance, they both picked Natsu up and put him in the spot next to Erza.

Erza gently let Natsu's shoulders fall until his head was in her lap. Her fingers gently pet his soft pink hair, it was strange for both Gray and the Emerald Knight to watch her be so sweet and caring, almost like a mother nursing a child. Then all of a sudden she reared her fist back and slammed it into his stomach, knocking him out. "There." She looked back up at both of them.

If they didn't think Erza was scary enough before, they did now.

"So…Erza, what magic do you use?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Erza's magic is so pretty!" Happy said, "Her opponent's blood goes everywhere!"

"Oh…I…I see…"

"I think Gray's is much more beautiful than mine." Erza smiled.

"Is that so?" The Emerald Knight asked, looking at Gray, "What is your magic? I never got to ask you that."

Gray held a hand out, slamming his fist into it. A resounding blast of cold air resulted from him releasing his magical energy, from the mist was a tiny icy figurine of the Fairy Tail symbol.

"Amazing." The Emerald Knight's eyes lit up.

"I do ice magic." Gray said.

"Hmm." He nodded, then he suddenly started howling with laughter.

"What…what's so funny?"

"Nothing…now I…now I know why you and Natsu don't get along so much…"

"Oh, what? Fire and ice? Eh, maybe…I think it's just cause Natsu's an idiot…"

"What about your magic, Ant?" Erza asked after chuckling.

"Me? Uh…well…" The Emerald Knight sounded ashamed to even share this with so many other people, "Most of my magic is plasma-based…I bet if I trained hard enough I could form gemstones immediately. But for now, I use what little magic I know to hone and power up my swordplay. Nothing more and nothing less."

Erza smiled, "Swordplay? Perhaps the two of us could do some training together. It isn't every day that I find someone else who prioritizes in swordplay."  
"Really? I'd love that!" He looked excited, then after a pause he looked down nervously, "I apologize if my weakness detracts from our amazing group…"

"Weakness?" Erza asked, "You aren't weak. Not if you're in Fairy Tail." She said simply, then she smiled, "You're part of our family now. Only time will help you grow, and with help from all of us, you will. We'll all grow." She said, firmly pounding a fist on Natsu's face.

The Emerald Knight was pleased at hearing this, he only winced when she punched Natsu's face.

"Erza, I gotta ask something that's been on all of our minds." Gray said, "What is this all about? I mean, you never need help from any of us, and you seem pretty worried, so this isn't just some run-of-the-mill job that can done in half a day."

"Right…" Her face grew much more serious, "There's a dark guild I heard about called Eisenwald. Have either of you two heard of it?"  
The Emerald Knight felt his color fade a little, he was surprised when he saw that Gray didn't know much about the guild either.

"Well…I stopped at a bar half way through my mission and heard quite an upset from a few of their members…they're after a very dangerous item called Lullaby, that's set in a very powerful magic seal so it cannot easily be accessed. At first, it hardly bothered me. But once I heard about Eisenwald's ace being involved, I became more concerned."

"Lullaby?" The Emerald Knight was utterly confused. A children's bedtime story? What sort of things were these dark guilds into?

"Are they a tough customer?" Gray asked.

Erza nodded, "His name is Erigor, and his title is the Death God, or the Reaper."

"Oh my…" The Emerald Knight went even paler.

"He's infamous for only accepting assassination requests. After these were banned by the council, Eisenwald decided to choose money over law and became a dark guild that ignored Council rules."

"Yup, if they ignore council rules, that's what makes them a Dark Guild in the first place." Gray sighed and stretched his hands behind his head.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard.

"Aw…Ant, you're shaking…and something doesn't tell me it's just because of Gray being a little on the chilly side." Happy said.

"He has all rights to be nervous." Erza said as the train slowly came to a stop, "Let's just hope your fears can be replaced with adrenaline as we take them down."

"Lullaby…" The Emerald Knight repeated as they left the train, "But…but what is it? What could it be?"

"We'll have to find out once we come across some Eisenwald creeps." Gray said.

"I'm sure if they want to get their hands on it, it can't be good." Erza crossed her arms, then she paused, "It's…awfully quiet…wait…." She watched as the train blew its whistle and pushed onwards, "…Natsu…" Her face went a bit pale.

"There he goes…" Happy said listlessly.

"Damn it! We'll have to go back for him!" The Emerald Knight shouted.

Natsu was still out like a lamp on the train, Erza's treatment really did a number on him.

"Young man? Is this seat taken?" A voice asked, as someone walked over, with black hair in a short ponytail, a red undershirt, a white jacket, blue pants, and black shoes.

Natsu, of course, was too sick to provide much of a response.

"Oh dear…you don't look so good…" The man smirked, sitting opposite of him, "You're from Fairy Tail, aren't you? An official guild?" His face darkened, "Oh, how I envy you…"

* * *

Erza panted a bit as the three of them rushed into the central train station. She pushed past all the security guards and grabbed a lever, pulling it down. A bell rang and Erza turned to face the guards that were shocked with her.

"What the hell are you doing ma'am?" An attendant asked, "You can't pull the emergency lever!"

"Why are you stopping the train?" Another attendant asked.

"There's a member of our guild on that train. And we need to get him, this is an emergency." She said firmly.

"Stopping the train…for one passenger…I don't believe it…" The attendant said.

"Oh my…this is getting a bit overboard…" The Emerald Knight said.

"Tell me about it." Gray said, without his coat or shirt.

He sighed, "Well…that's a new record for staying clothed, at the very least…" He said dryly.

* * *

"Fairy Tail…" The other passenger mused, "I've heard a lot about it. That Mirajane girl is pretty famous, isn't she?" He said, "She appears in those magazines every now and then. She's flawlessly beautiful. I wonder why she's not on active duty anymore? That's a pretty young age to stop fighting. There was another girl too…the one that left the train, she was sitting with you. I think she's pretty famous too…"

Again, Natsu was too sick to really respond.

"I guess there are a lot of cute and strong girls in official girl, hmm? I'm so jealous." He said, "There's no sign of a girl ever joining our guild. Why…why don't you share a little?" The man stood up with a dark smirk, kicking Natsu in the face.

Natsu growled, his eyes glared at his opponents, but the motion sickness was preventing him from moving too quickly.

"To tell you truth. Expulsion sucks. We Dark Guilds are discriminated against." The man said, "Your little Fairy Tail guild really likes to stand out, doesn't it? I hate how much you guys show off just because you're an official guild." He leaned in a bit closer, "Do you know what we call you people at Fairy Tail? Flies. We call you flies!" He laughed, then he started smacking Natsu's face, "Time to swat a fly!"

"You little…" Natsu finally rose from his seat.

"Oh, so now you've decided to speak? What, do you want to take me on?"

Natsu roared, flames erupting from his arms and legs, but the second the train hit a lurch, he fell back in his seat, "Urp…"

The other man laughed, "Was that supposed to be magic? Don't make me laugh!" He sat back down, "You want to see magic?" He tapped his feet aggressively, causing the shadow under him to launch a volley of punches at Natsu, "This is magic!" He laughed, beating his opponent in a fairly one-sided battle.

That is, until the train stopped, both men fell forward, and the other man asked, "Why is the train stopping?"

"It…it stopped…" Natsu shook himself off, he quickly noticed something, his opponent's bag was spilled open due to the force of the train stopping, a wooden flute was lying on the ground with a three-eyed skull next to the mouthpiece.

"Damn it…you weren't supposed to see that…" His opponent said, hastily trying to retreat with his flute in tow.

"You think you're running away?" Natsu smirked, "Not after all that…" His fist was broiled with flames, "Now it's payback time!" He punched his foe square across the train, he crashed into the wall.

"You…" The other man tried to peel himself off the wall. How did his opponent get so strong all of a sudden? He was complete trash before.

Suddenly the speaker system screeched on, "We have confirmed that the train was stopped for erroneous reasons. We will continue moving shortly."

"This is bad…" Natsu gulped.

"We apologize for any inconveniences." The speaker said as the train began to move again.

"Gotta go!" Natsu started running for it.

"Pfft, like I'd allow that!" His opponent snapped, "You just attacked a member of Eisenwald! It won't end here, fly!"

"Oh, I'm sure it won't." Natsu smiled, "I'd love for a rematch. You already dug your own grave once you insulted Fairy Tail. Next time…we'll take this outside…urp…" Natsu jumped out of the hole he created to get off the train.

Natsu flew in the air, he saw a compact car being driven by Erza coming his way. Happy and the Emerald Knight must've been inside, with Gray sitting on the roof, "Natsu?" Gray asked in shock as both he and Natsu's faces smacked together and they tumbled in the ground.

Erza hopped off of the car, rubbing one of her wrists, "Natsu, thank goodness we were able to catch you."  
Natsu sat up, wearily rubbing his head, "I have amnesia, who are all of you?"

"Now's not the time for joke's you chump." Gray said, "We don't have time for goofing around."

"I wasn't goofing around! You all left me on the train, jerks!" Natsu said, the Emerald Knight and Happy eventually got out of the car as well to watch the spectacle, "And I was attacked by some guy on the train too…what guild was he from again…Eisenwald?"

"You mean you don't remember what I said on the train either?" Erza seemed infuriated.

"Uh…Erza…" The Emerald Knight piped up timidly, knowing that he was risking a beat down, "You…knocked him out…on the train…"

She seemed to calm down the second he started speaking, combing a hand through shining red hair, "Yes…I had forgotten…" She sighed, "So there was a member of Eisenwald on the train…we should not hesitate any longer to track him down."

"Yeah, he had this weird flute…it had a skull with three eyes on it." Natsu said.

"That…that's creepy." Gray said.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, "Uh…pardon me…for interrupting…"

"What's wrong, Ant?" Happy asked.

"If their goal…Lullaby…is a song…and that man was carrying a flute…it's fair to assume that those two are one in the same…"

Erza smiled, "I was thinking something similar. Glad to hear we're on the same page." She pat his shoulder, the metals in their armors clanging together, "Let's get on the magic mobile and follow after him."

* * *

Sure enough, once the train Natsu was formerly on made its stop, Erigor and his followers immediately sent panic through the train station, "Get the passengers and conductors off! Everything goes off! This train belongs to Eisenwald now!" Erigor said amidst the screaming civilians.

Erigor then smiled when he say Natsu's former opponent on the train arrive, "We heard you were on this train, Kageyama, so we were waiting for you."

Kageyama bowed, "I broke the seal, Erigor." He handed the odd flute to his leader.

"Oh?" Erigor grinned with the flute in his hands, "So this is the forbidden magic flute, Lullaby?" The Eisenwald members started to cheer.

"That's Kageyama for ya!" The man with whiskers shouted.

"Our plans are finally complete!" The pharaoh said.

"This flute used to be nothing but a tool used in death curses." Erigor said, "But the great black wizard Zeref upgraded it to a magic flute. Anyone who hears the sound of its song will perish from this world!" Erigor grinned at the flute, "Now, it is time for us to utilize the mass murder curse magic, Lullaby!"

* * *

 **A/N:** How's Eisenwald? We finally have Team Natsu officially forming up! Leave a review! Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Here's chapter six. Part of me feels bad every time I write a scene with a dragon slayer in a moving vehicle, I just feel bad for putting them through the nightmare of motion sickness. Anyway, please enjoy chapter six, more Eisenwald!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"A fly…?" Erigor asked, clearly enraged at such a suggestion.

"Y-Yes…" Kageyama timidly piped up, "He was on board the train just before we reached the station…he was really pathetic…"

Erigor narrowed his eyes, blowing a small gust of wind out from his hand and knocking Kageyama back, "You didn't leave him suspicious, did you?" He glared.

"One fly won't fail us our mission!" Kageyama snapped.

"Of course not." Erigor said, "But I don't anyone making trouble for us, is that understood?"

There was a silence, indicating that the rest of his guild understood.

"Flies…" Erigor shook his head, twirling the Lullaby flute in his hand, "There are some forests where flies aren't allowed…"

* * *

The team from Fairy Tail kept following the train tracks to get any new info on their lead, the further they went, the more carnage and royal military presence they noticed.

"This looks bad…" The Emerald Knight said, "It looks like Eisenwald's Lullaby plan involves trains as a transportation system…"

"That's what it looks like." Happy said. The two of them and Natsu were inside the car, with the latter slumped on his seat in a sickly position, Gray sat on the roof of the car, and Erza was driving.

"It's…curious…to say the least…I mean, why trains?"

"Aye. It can only follow the rails…I don't really see how that would help them try and get someplace."

"They're probably just trying to get wherever they're going the fastest." Gray said.

"It matters not." The Emerald Knight triumphantly crossed his arms, "With the royal army after them, I'm sure this will end shortly."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Erza spoke up so they could hear her over the engine, the wind catching her long hair, "I'm not sure how many cases I can really think of that the royal army actually were able to bring down wizards. At least from a dark guild this powerful."

Gray's knuckles whitened as he grabbed onto the roof of the magic mobile, "Erza, you're going too fast! You'll overload the S.E. plug!"

"We don't have time to waste." She snapped, squeezing the wheel.

"S.E. plug?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Aye. Most vehicles run on magic power!" Happy said.

"That's exactly my point." Gray said, looking down at Erza, "If you keep going so fast, you'll be out of magic energy by the time we have to actually fight someone!"

"I'll be just fine. This is nothing, trust me."

They stopped by at the train station, seeing it overrun with conductors and members of the royal army.

"Urp…" Natsu could barely move, even after he got out of the magic mobile, the Emerald Knight caught him as he fell and slung Natsu over his shoulder.

"Everyone, please stay calm!" A conductor cried out through a megaphone, "Please stay away from the station until the terrorists have been stopped!"

"Terrorists…?" Erza's eyes widened, "Eisenwald…" She grumbled under her breath as she pushed through people and grabbed a conductor by the tie, "What's going on? Where are they?"

"Uh…who are you…?" The conductor asked.

"It doesn't matter! Where are these terrorists?"

"Uh…lady…you should…you should stay back…it…it's dangerous to proceed any further…"

Erza growled and shoved him to the ground, grabbing the collar of another conductor, "The terrorists, where are they?"

"Uh…w-what…?" The conductor shivered.

"The terrorists!" She demanded.

The Emerald Knight and Gray exchanged a glance, they would be in the lobby for a while.

Seven conductors later, and they moved on to a staircase leading to a large assembly area. Royal soldiers were draped all over the railings and there defeated unconscious bodies littered the floor.

"Whoa!" Happy said, "The whole army got knocked out."

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, looking at the defeated army in front of him, he felt some of his color fade.

Erza sighed as she looked around, almost trying to identify the cause of death, to know what type of magic would work best against them. "Let us not get discouraged. We're wizards of Fairy Tail, we'll always triumph over others."

The Emerald Knight felt a chill. Of course they would fall to a Dark Guild. The didn't know magic, only his elite crops knew how to defend themselves with magic, not these common soldiers, still, it didn't stop him from feeling bad for them.

"Come on, I feel a large amount of magic power in the next room." Gray said, they all proceeded to the assembly area.

Surely enough, a guild's worth of people waited for them in this large room. It was complete with Erigor, and his four elite underlings, Kageyama, the pharaoh, the man with the green hair and fish lips, and the man with the whiskers.

"I knew you'd come, Fairy Tail!" Erigor gave a hungry grin.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, "They brought their entire guild?"

"I've been waiting for you." Erigor folded his hands.

Erza let out a low growl, "You must be Erigor."

"Huh…I've seen that chick in the armor before…" The man with the green hair said.

"I'd like to see her in my bedroom tonight…" The man with the whiskers gave a dirty grin.

"Natsu, you have to wake up, we need your help!" The Emerald Knight tried to gently shake Natsu awake.

"It won't work…" Happy said, "He's been on so many vehicles today, that he'll take an extra-long time to recover."

The Emerald Knight nervously looked back at his foes. He should've been knocked out, not Natsu, Natsu could fight ten times longer than he could.

"You flies…" Kageyama growled, "It's your fault that I-

"Settle down, Kageyama." The pharaoh said.

"Hmm…that voice…?" Natsu began to stir on the Emerald Knight's shoulder.

Erza's dark eyes judged heavily over everyone in the room, "Tell me now what it is you're after. Your answer will decide whether you die to my hands, or whether you live."

"We just want to play." Erigor snickered dryly, "We don't have any work anymore, so we've got plenty of time!"

The rest of Eisenwald laughed with a roaring, dark chorus.

"Still don't get it?" Erigor started floating, "There's something very special about this station."

"He's levitating in the air." The Emerald Knight's eyes shrunk.

"It must be wind magic." Happy said.

"Oh? And what is that? Entertain me." Erza was not impressed.

Erigor flew up a bit further, tapping his hand on a metal speaker.

She cocked an eyebrow, "A microphone?"

"Does that mean…?" Gray started.

"…if…if it's a song…" The Emerald Knight said.

Erigor laughed loudly, "I'd say there are at least hundreds, if not thousands of fools out there. And if I play it loud enough, they will all hear my melody of death!"

Erza's eyes widened, "No…" She clenched her fists, "Why? Would good would it do to kill thousands of innocent people!?"

"This is a _purge!_ " Erigor said, "Of people who don't realize that other people's _rights_ have been stolen away! They show off their own rights and preserve their petty little way of life! I'm purging the world of all of those fools!" His sickening smirk only got darker as he clenched his grip around Lullaby, "It's a sin to live life without knowing how unfair this world really is, so the Reaper has come to claim punishment!"

"You won't get your rights to work back that way!" The Emerald Knight growled, "I don't think the Magic Council recognizes cold-blooded murderers these days…"

"We've given up on trying to get our rights back. We'll rule this world instead, rewriting how the laws of the land work around here!"

"You bunch of scoundrels won't ever rule anything, I'll make sure of that!"

"Too bad for you…little flies…" Kageyama snickered, dark shadows extending out from his own.

"That voice…" Natsu tried once again to stand on his own two feet.

"You're going to die without ever seeing our new, dark age!" Kageyama screamed as his shadows burst out to punch the five of them.

Natsu sprang up, his fist cloaked in fire, he punched away all the shadow appendages and cancelled out the attack.

"You…" Kageyama fumed, getting tired of Natsu thwarting him once again.

The Emerald Knight smiled, "Natsu, you're back!"

Natsu smirked at Kageyama, "What's the matter, can't beat me on solid ground?" They he surveyed the entire area, "Whoa…did they bring their entire guild?"

"It appears so." The Emerald Knight chuckled.

"You take it from here." Erigor ordered his men, he flew out the window, "I've got a flute to play. Show these no-name flies! The dark power of Eisenwald!"

"Damn it! He got away!" Gray fumed.

"Natsu, Gray." Erza spat their names out, "Take care of Erigor. Ant." She looked over at the Emerald Knight, "We'll handle the rest of the guild." She held her hands out, two silver rapiers appeared in each hand.

The Emerald Knight shuddered. Two people against an entire Dark Guild?

"I don't need flame-brain's help!" Gray said, as he and Natsu butt heads.

"I don't need help from an ice princess either…" Natsu snarled.

"Boys! Focus!" Erza's voice cracked like a whip, "Take him down!"

"We're not boys-

Natsu started, but Gray just dragged him out and left the room.

"Two of them got away!" The man with the whiskers said.

"Calm down Byard." The pharaoh said, "I'll go after them." He whipped out black bands and swung on the suspension beams after the duo.

"I'll go too." Kageyama said, "The flaming brat and I have some unfinished business." He started to sink into his shadow, "Byard, Karacka…" He looked at the man with the whiskers and the man with the green hair, "Make sure these flies don't make it past."

"Aw man, Rayule and Kageyama are missing out." Byard smirked, "I'll play with this redhead all night."

"Be careful." Karacka said, "This isn't just a game."

The Emerald Knight drew his lance and shield, a big, almost goofy grin on his face, "A lady shouldn't have to dirty her hands with battle unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Uh…Ant…" Happy said, "Erza already wiped out half of them…"

He looked over and his jaw dropped. She was practically flying around the room, slicing people open with her swords, then switching to a spear and stabbing people like some sort of human-kebab. An axe materialized in her hands next as she hacked into people, her armor protecting her from any blows they tried to strike on her.

"Her…her weapons keep changing…" The Emerald Knight stood there, frozen.

"Uh-huh, it's sort of like celestial magic. Erza holds all of her weapon in a different dimension where she can call on them anytime she wants." Happy said, "To change a weapon is to 'requip.'"

"Amazing…" The Emerald Knight looked at his lance. Could Erza teach him how to do that?

"So…if you wanna catch up with Erza, you better get going." Happy swatted a paw out.

"She already killed half of them, I wouldn't be able to catch up!" The Emerald Knight pointed out, running out with his visor down and his lance out to try and help her at least a little bit.

Erza landed in front of the Emerald Knight, facing away, "Ant, if I use one more attack I can take them all out and save the hassle. As long as you stand back."  
"But I didn't even get to help…" The Emerald Knight said quietly.

Happy laughed, "Better luck next time Ant."

The Emerald Knight stepped back, having no idea what Erza's plan was, but he decided to go with it anyway.

Erza's entire body glowed a pure golden color, like a shining light, until a new set of armor appeared over her figure. A skirt that seemed to be made out of iron, steel or silver blades reached down to her mid-calf, her iron boots looked quite sharp as well. Her armor covered her sides and breasts, leaving her stomach and upper chest exposed. Her arms were coated in armor as well, two wing like crests came up from her hair. On her back was a giant set of shining wings, each feather looked like a sharp blade poking out from her. She held two large swords with dark blue engravings, and a ring of swords surrounded her from behind.

"My…my goodness…" The Emerald Knight stammered, "How in blazes did she do that?"

Happy smiled and crossed his arms, "A lot of swordsman mages can requip their weapons, but Erza can even replace her armor, into many different types that can enhance specific abilities. That's what makes Erza so powerful!"

The Emerald Knight was awestruck, he raised his lance up high in an effort to aid her, "Swords of Retribution!" Twelve green glowing plasma swords spun in a ring being the Emerald Knight, looking nearly identical to Erza's attack. Their swords both flung out and took out the remainder of the Eisenwald followers.

As Erza landed, her armor returned to normal and she panted a bit, smiling at the Emerald Knight. "Great minds think alike."  
The Emerald Knight raised his visor, revealing a smile of his own.

"Pfft, those guys were nothing, I'm leagues above them!" Byard ran forth, launching beams of light out of his hands.

"Wait Byard!" Karacka warned, "They keep calling her Erza, I know what that name means!"

"What a pest." The Emerald Knight stood in front of Erza who was still catching her breath, blocking his rays of light with his impressive shield.

"That's a remarkable shield." Erza said, completely ignoring the Eisenwald members. She simply wasn't intimidated by them at all, "I'll have to see if I can find one that powerful to add to my artillery."

The Emerald Knight looked back, "What do we do about this one? If we get too close, he'll blind us."

"You're right." Erza mused, reequipping two rapiers again, "Any ideas?"  
"We'll both attack him at once. You take a frontal assault, and I'll attack somewhere a bit more unorthodox."

She nodded, she couldn't help but smile. It was the first time she could ever recall fighting with someone who cooperated so well, let alone with such a similar fighting style. Her feet pivoted into place as she dashed forward and gave a battle cry to slice Byard front on.

Byard snickered, this attack by itself looked almost foolish, as Byard held a hand out to blind her. The Emerald Knight ran in from behind, actually sheathing his sword. He held his fist back, and his gauntlet glowed with a green energy, "Gauntlet Hammer!" He slammed his armored fist into Byard's face. Blood and some of his teeth flew everyone. But by the time he could recoil properly from the attack, Erza's stab connected, and he fell on the ground, giving weak grunts every now and then, but not really moving much otherwise.

"Oh my god…it is…Titania Erza…Queen of the Fairies!" Karacka panicked, running for his life and warping through a wall.

Erza panted a bit as her swords dematerialized. "Ant. Go after him. He will most likely lead you to Erigor."

"Yes ma'am." The Emerald Knight did a brief bow, running off. Happy snickered a bit and flew after him.

* * *

"We're supposed to combine our strengths? How stupid!" Gray said, as he and Natsu butt heads, sure enough, they barely left the assembly area and they were already fighting again.

"Tell me about it! The last person I want to work with is you!" Natsu growled.

"I don't why Erza told us to work together."

"She clearly forgot how much we hate each other!"

"I can take out Erigor on my own with no problem!" They both roared at once, then they grabbed each other and started a scuffle.

Once they got that out of their system, Gray looked ahead, seeing an intersection, "Fine, then we'll split up."

"Sounds good to me." Natsu said as they both began to head down opposite corridors.

"Natsu, we're against a real arrogant punk who thinks he can use death magic as the answer to his little problems." Gray clenched his hand into a fist, "So we gotta pound this fool into the ground."

"Of course." Natsu said, "That jerk picked a fight with Fairy Tail, now I'm gonna burn him to a crisp."

They faced away again, ready to head down their respective halls, "Don't you die on me…" Gray said quietly.

"Hmm?" Natsu turned around.

"Nothing!" Gray said as he quickened his pace almost to a run.

He sighed, looking around, Erigor didn't exactly leave a trail, so he knew this wasn't going to be easy. "So…if that weirdo Erigor wants to mess with people and broadcast a death song…he would need P.A. equipment for that, wouldn't he?" He mused, "Hmm…so I guess my next stop is the P.A. room."

Once he found the P.A. room, he kicked the door in, taking a good look around the room, "What the hell? Erigor isn't in here? I thought for sure that _someone_ would…"

Black bands whipped at him from behind, but Gray quickly turned around and avoided the attack, seeing Rayule descend in front of him.

"You're awful perceptive! Good move working your way here!" Rayule smirked, "Too bad it'll get you killed right here and now."

"Oh, so it's not Erigor, but one of his little posers instead, huh?" Gray smirked right back, "Alright, maybe you'll keep me busy for a few minutes."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the town of Clover, there was a huge meeting hall, which almost resembled a castle, where all the Guild Masters were having their scheduled meeting. Inside, the Master of Fairy Tail was sitting at one of the tables and having a drink, by how flushed his cheeks were, it was clear to tell that he had drank quite a bit that night.

"Ooh, Makarov, how are all of your cute little wizards doing, I'm so jealous?" A soft voice said as another guild master walked over. At first it was hard to tell what gender this particular person fell under. In truth it was a man who was crossdressing, he was bald, wearing a pink spaghetti strap dress, as well as a lot of feminine makeup, and he even had little white angelic wings as well, "I heard your wizards absolutely demolished half a town the other day."

"Ah, Guild Master Bob, of the Blue Pegasus guild…" Makarov leaned in with a drunken grin, "You know who I want to demolish…? Let's see…how many…how many female wizards do I have in the guild?"

"Ew…Makarov, you're such a perv!"

"I mean, it's good to have such active spirits." Another guild master said, "But the Council is worried that your guild is going to destroy an entire town someday…" This man had light brown hair down to his shoulders, wearing dark clothing, a witch's hat, and a red collar around his neck.

"Ooh, hello Guild Master Goldmine, how's Quatro Cerberus doing?" Bob asked.

"To hell with those nuts at the council…I…I can do what I want!" Makarov laughed.

It was then a little bird flew by carrying a letter, "Master Makarov, I have brought you a message from Miss Mirajane!" The bird chirped, dropping the letter in Makarov's hands.

Makarov opened up the letter, "This is my guild's poster girl. Get ready for some eye candy, boys!"

As he opened the letter, a projection of Mira popped up and she waved, "Hi Master! First of all I wanted to thank you for all the hard work you've been doing in the council meetings. I know how stressful they can be!"

Makarov chuckled, "Isn't she a sweetheart?"

"While you were away, the most wonderful thing happened!"

"Hmm?"

"Erza formed a death-team with Gray and Natsu! And Happy and the Emerald Knight tagged on too!" She spoke with a sweet and cheery voice, like a child that was explaining the joys of Christmas.

"Eh…eh…what?"

"I think it's going to be the most powerful team Fairy Tail has ever seen! I just wanted to let you know. Don't get too stressed about the council meeting, okay?"  
Makarov fell back on the floor once the message ended. He was pretty much unconscious with his eyes wide open. _That lot probably can destroy an entire town…_

* * *

Outside the train station, were hundreds of onlookers watching on with concern at the events unfolding inside. Occasionally they would cast nervous glances at each other and mutter their theories as to what was happening.

Erza walked up onto a platform that everyone was gathered at, a silence spread over everyone as she stood there. Her voice was so loud and strong, she didn't need any sort of microphone or megaphone. "Everyone listen!" She demanded, "There are dark wizards inside this station that want you all dead! And they have just the item to do so! Everyone needs to evacuate the premises immediately, for the risk of your own life!"

It didn't take much convincing after that, all the civilians screamed in a panic and left the station as fast as their legs could carry them.

"What the hell are you trying to do, cause a widespread panic?" A conductor confronted Erza.

"If you plan on doing your job for another day, I'd leave as well." She said sourly, looking around. Her eyes suddenly caught what appeared to be a tornado in the distance, her hands clenched into balls.

"Hmm? What's a fly doing outside the barrier?" Erigor asked, he could be seen levitating a few yards away from her.

"Erigor…" Her eyes sharpened into a glare as she materialized a blade. Part of her wondered where the Emerald Knight had even run off to now.

"Queen of the Fairies." Erigor said, it seemed that even this nutcase had a bit of respect for her, "I'd love to have a bout with you, I always wanted to. But sadly, I don't exactly have the time." He blew her away with an impressive gust of wind, trapping her inside, "So be a good little fly and stay put!"

She skidded on the ground and looked around at the walls of wind that surrounded her. She let out a loud growl and reached forward to push through, but she cried out as the wind shredded up her arm, leaving no armor and bloody scars all over. "Damn you Erigor…" She looked up, answered only by the wind. "I thought the station was your target, what is the point of attacking us like this!?"

Erigor laughed, "Let's just call it a fly trap, shall we?" He laughed and laughed, "You fools have wasted enough of my time, so I'll be going now!"

"You won't get what you want! You never will! Fairy Tail will bring Eisenwald to its end!"

"Not with that barrier intact you won't. It's impenetrable, if you try to break out, you'll be torn to pieces." He smirked, flying away and giving another sarcastic goodbye.

* * *

"Anyone who gets in the way of our mission." Rayule said, "Will find themselves dead!"

"Pfft, what mission?" Gray asked, "You can't broadcast anything as long as I'm in here."

Rayule whipped another round of dark bands at him, but Gray avoided the attack again, with each successful dodge, Rayule destroyed more and more of the P.A. room. _That's weird…don't they kinda need this stuff intact in order to broadcast Lullaby? No, that can't be, they must have a different plan in mind._ His eyes shrunk as bands came at him from behind too kindly remind him to stop daydreaming and start fighting.

"Ice-make…Shield!" After slamming his fist into his open hand, Gray motioned his hands out, and a large ice wall protected him.

"Ice magic…huh? Interesting…" Rayule said.

"So…what are you creeps planning?" Gray asked.

"I guess there's no point in stalling anymore. By now, Erigor already made his giant wind barrier."

"Wind barrier?" Gray asked, stupefied.

"It's a wall of wind that will make sure you fools can't get out!" He smirked.

"What?" He frowned and lunged forward, kicking Rayule in the face and smashing him through into another room, "Don't give me that crap! Just tell me what you're doing!"

"We had to come up with a few backup plans once we noticed that flies started buzzing around." Rayule said, "The whole reason we took this station is so trains can't get in, or out. The town nearby is at the end of a large ravine. And the only way to get there is by train! Unless you can fly, like Erigor."

"But why use Lullaby there?"

"Come, think long and hard…" Rayule whipped his dark bands out, "Think of what the town of Clover has in it!"

Gray was hit, suffering a few bloody marks and he skidded back, he was too busy thinking to dodge that once, "You mean…Clover…that's where all those old guys are holding their meeting! So you're after the Guild Masters!"

Rayule laughed and laughed, indicating that Gray must've guessed correctly.

"You really think you can kill some of the most powerful wizards out there in one fell swoop like that?"

"Those old fools won't even know what hit them!" Rayule laughed, "They'll just hear a little music and then die. Erigor _will_ get away with it!" He shook his head, "And you flies may have gotten in our way, but now you're trapped behind the wind barrier! This plan is foolproof!"

Gray slammed his fist into his open hand, an icy mist surrounded the area.

Rayule kept laughing, "We were banished from your society to live in the darkness, but now it will be we who rule and anyone who opposes us will simply vanish!"

"We'll stop you." Gray said simply, "And you jerks will regret ever trying to kill our old man!" He laid a hand on Rayule's face and slowly but surely froze the man solid, "And you will learn that there is a guild out there more terrifying than any dark guild!"

* * *

 **A/N:** So, what did you think? Questions? Comments? Leave a review! :) They're really appreciated, so don't be shy. I should warn you all, that I'm especially busy in the fall with all my after school activities, but even if I don't upload for a bunch of days or a week, it doesn't mean that I forgot about this fanfic. I intend to see this through. Please enjoy!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Here's chapter seven! (Ironic how I just said it might take a while to post more chapters, but let's not delve into that) Please enjoy! :)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Erza growled, pressing the staff part of a spear against Byard's throat as she pinned him to the ground. She leaned in over him, "I'll ask you one more time…how do you break through the wind barrier?"

"I…I don't know…" Byard choked, "It…it's not possible…you're screwed!"

"You're all useless…" She hissed as she reared back and hit him in the head, his body motionless after that. She stood up and held her spear out, putting it back in her requip space.

"Erza!" A voice called, as she saw Gray run into the room.

"Gray?" She asked as she turned around. She rubbed her eyes with her fists then blinked again, "What…what are you doing here? Where's Natsu?"

"We split up…but look…" Gray said, pointing backward, "I couldn't find Erigor, but I found one of his little creeps. When I was about to beat him, he told me the whole thing! Erigor is planning to use Lullaby to kill all the Guild Masters in Clover!"

"What…." Her eyes widened, then she growled and picked up Byard's limp body by the collar, screaming in his face, "Why didn't you tell me that!?"

Gray walked up to Erza's side, "And on my way here, I noticed a big wall of wind outside. Looks like it would turn ya to mush if you tried to get out…"

"Yes, it certainly is impenetrable. As of now." She looked at her left arm, still soaked in blood and gashes from when she tried to push through.

"Do these guys know anything about it?" Gray asked, nudging Byard with his foot.

"Not that I know of…" She mused, rubbing one of her temples and closing her eyes.

There was a silence between both of them as Erza kept thinking, brooding, while Gray kept nudging people and seeing if Erza bothered to leave them alive.

Suddenly her eyes snapped open, "That's it."

"What's up?" Gray asked.

"We need to find Kageyama. When I was in the bar before, I remember listening to their conversations. While they talked mostly about their plans with Lullaby and trying to get me in their bedrooms, they also mentioned a power Kageyama has at his disposal. He can break magical barriers. He mentioned that when they asked him how they would obtain Lullaby. There's a good possibility if we find him and if he's still alive, he could get us out of here in time to save the Masters in Clover."

Gray's eyes lit up, "So he'll be able to put the wind barrier down!"

"There's a good chance he will, though I'm not positive."

Gray half-wilted, "There's a good chance Natsu's fighting him right now…we should probably hurry before he burns the guy alive…"

She nodded and ignored her body screaming for a rest as she ran forward with Gray.

"Karacka…" Byard choked out, "How long are you going keep hiding…?"

Karacka warped out of the wall, "Sorry…"

"You heard, right?" Byard said, "They're after Kageyama, you have to go!"

"You kidding me? I'm no good at combat!"

"No…you've got an even easier job…it's so simple even you couldn't mess it up…" A dark grin formed on Byard's face.

* * *

The Emerald Knight was getting tired of aimlessly looking around, "We've been searching for this Karacka fellow for a long time…"

"Aye." Happy said, walking alongside him.

"Perhaps we should report back to Erza, tell her that we couldn't find him…"

Happy looked terrified, "Whoa…Ant…you're so brave, just…disregarding an order from Erza like that! I mean, this is _Erza_ we're talking about. Man, I don't want to see what you look like when she's through with you!"

A sweat drop trickled down the side of his head, "Well, let us continue our search then."

* * *

Natsu destroyed the wall completely, "Come on out Erigor!" He looked around for a few seconds, "Hmm, not in here…" He yelled and blew up the next room, trying to find his foe.

Kageyama watched from his shadow, utterly confused as to why Natsu was leveling the entire station just to find one person. What made the destruction funnier was that Erigor wasn't even in the station anymore.

Kageyama snickered, his shadow descended lower and lower until he lashed out and kicked Natsu from behind. As his foe stumbled forward and crashed into the wall, Kageyama roared with laughter.

"It's you again!" Natsu roared, tearing himself off the wall.

"I've pretty much figured out your magic." Kageyama smirked, "You use fire, to add to your already destructive strength. It's quite amusing, actually."

Natsu growled, "I want to punch you, but I can't, I gotta find Erigor…tell me where he is!"

"Well, I'd love to satisfy your little condition." Kageyama snickered, "That is, if you beat me."

Natsu dodged Kageyama's incoming shadow, "I get to beat you up _and_ get your info? Two birds with one stone! I'm fired up now!"

"You're fast…" Kageyama said, watching Natsu dodge all of his shadow attacks, "But you won't be able to dodge my Shadow Orochi!" He said as dozens of shadowy snake heads reared their faces at Natsu.

Natsu frowned and ran at them, his fists lighting up as he punched through as many as he could see, with relative ease.

"What…?" Kageyama was stupefied, this was his best attack, and he was watching it be dismantled right in front of him, "No…he destroyed them all!" He cried out, Natsu even had spare firepower to punch Kageyama once he was done with his snakes. Kageyama flew towards the wall and smashed into it.

Natsu didn't stop there, he punched Kageyama through the wall, reigniting his fist with each punch as he sent him sailing back.

"This guy's a monster!" Kageyama gasped, terrified.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu blasted him with fire at point-blank range. When the smoke cleared, Kageyama laid on the ground, defeated.

Natsu laughed, "I win!" He smiled, "Now tell me where Erigor is."

Kageyama snickered madly, despite being covered in blood and bruises, "You idiot….Erigor isn't even at the station anymore…"

"What?"

"Natsu!" He heard Erza's voice and turned to see Gray and Erza running towards him, "Don't kill him yet, we need him alive!"

"I don't say this a lot, so don't get used to it, but good job, flame-brain." Gray smiled.

"What are you guys talking about?" Natsu asked, "A guy like this is easy…"

"We don't have time to explain, we've been looking for him."

"Let me handle this." Erza said deeply, grabbing Kageyama by the collar and slamming him against the wall. "Listen you Eisenwald tool, you will tell us how to escape the wind barrier this instant." She materialized a blade, "Or I'll cut your throat out myself."

"Holy crap…guys, I already beat him, this is taking it way too far!" Natsu shouted.

"Shut up, Natsu!" Gray snapped.

Kageyama didn't look like he was going to reveal anything anytime soon, until suddenly he coughed up blood and collapsed on the ground. At first it looked like Erza got impatient and stabbed him, but the culprit was Karacka, still half in the wall, with a knife which was dripping blood from the tip.

Erza's eyes widened as she stepped back, "You…just killed your guild mate…"

"Shit…he was our only way out of here!" Gray said.

"You…" Natsu glared at Karacka.

"Damn it, hey, wake up, we need your help!" Gray tried to shake Kageyama awake.

"He was in your guild! He's supposed to be your friend!" Natsu roared at Karacka. "You dirty little…" He flew towards Karacka and torched him with a fiery punch, blowing up the wall around him as well.

"Damn it…even if he was conscious, he wouldn't have the magic power in this condition to break down the wall…" Erza panicked.

"But how are we going to get through the wind barrier?" Gray asked.

"Is this the kind of guild you're in, huh?" Natsu said, as he kept thrashing Karacka around.

The Emerald Knight and Happy returned to the group, both of them looking incredibly confused, "Oh my…many events have taken place while we were gone…"

"Aye…" Happy said.

* * *

Erigor was walking along the railway to reach his destination, a vast canyon surrounding it, "The town of Clover is close, I can feel it!" He said, "Luckily I've regained most of the power I lost when I cast the win barrier! Perhaps I'll fly!" He levitated and began flying towards his goal much faster.

"Just you wait, you old fools." He said, "I'll kill you all using Lullaby! The Reaper demands an offering! Of those who stole our rights to work away!"

* * *

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard as the five of them faced the wind barrier, "So…I'm assuming we're trapped now…"

"It appears that way…" Erza mused, still frantic as she tried to think of a way to free their Master. She would have admitted she never felt more useless, but she knew that wasn't true at all.

"And their true target is the Guild Masters?" The Emerald Knight looked at Gray.

Gray nodded, "But we won't be able to help them if we're stuck in here…"

Natsu ran into the wind barrier and got shredded up, falling back, "See?" Gray said, "Completely blocks your movement."

Natsu got up and lit both his fists on fire, "I'll just try again!" Natsu crashed into the barrier, falling back on the ground.

"I don't think that's going to work…Natsu…" The Emerald Knight said, he looked at Gray, "Can your magic freeze it?"

"If I could, I would've done it already…" Gray said.

Natsu crashed into the wall yet again, and the Emerald Knight pulled him back, "Hey! Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?"

Natsu pulled out of the Emerald Knight's grasp, crossing his arms and pouting, "I don't see anyone coming up with a brilliant idea…"

"I may be able to do something." The Emerald Knight said.

Erza turned to him, "What's your idea?"

He drew his lance, "This may not even work." He said.

"Well, just spit it out." Gray said.

"There was an attack my superiors taught me as a last-ditch effort to use against wizards. It cancels out the magic in an area for a handful of seconds. I suppose it is to be used to finish off an opposing wizard with swordplay while they're defenseless."

"So that means…" Gray started slowly, "That you can put the barrier down?"

"For a handful of seconds, yes. But it, like Sword of Retribution, take up a lot of magic energy. I wouldn't be fighting anyone for a while after I perform this maneuver."

"Wow Ant, I guess you can be useful at times!" Happy cheered.

The Emerald Knight's eye twitched, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that…"

"We wouldn't be able to use our magic then either…" Erza mused, "But it isn't like we'll be needing it right now. I think you should use it, and we'll all escape as quickly as possible."

"Yeah, let's do it." Natsu hoisted Kageyama up on his back.

"What are you doing, Natsu?" Gray asked.

"I'd feel bad leaving him behind."

The Emerald Knight took a deep breath and held his lance out, whipping it back as it glowed in a green light, "Lance Fader!" He sent out a massive wave of green light, once it made contact with the barrier, it disappeared, "Go, go now!"

Erza nodded, every magic user felt a strange aura of exhaustion, but their adrenaline pushed them forward anyway until they were outside of the ring of wind.

The Emerald Knight sheathed his lance, "Your magic should return to you in mere seconds. As for me…I'll only be able to fight with my basic knight's training now."

"Eh, it's fine, we could still all take Erigor on without breaking a sweat." Gray said, then he looked around, "Hey, where's Natsu?"

"Happy's gone too…" The Emerald Knight said.

"It…it's over…" Kageyama said as he laid on the ground, "There's no way you'll be able to catch up with Erigor now…we've won…"

* * *

Erigor's grin grew, "I can see the town now! This is wonderful!"

He heard a voice from far away, "This is…Happy's…..max…speed!" Natsu flew in with Happy and kicked Erigor in the face with his flaming feet, Erigor crashed into the train tracks.

"I…I can't…fly anymore…" Happy panted.

Natsu caught him as they both landed, "Thanks, little buddy, now we caught up to him!"

"You fool!" Erigor got up slowly, "How did you catch up to me?"

Natsu's fists burned with flames, "I'm here to take you down, you wind-sack!"

* * *

The ride to catch up with Natsu was quiet at first. Gray and the Emerald Knight sat inside the car with Kageyama, while Erza sat in the driver's seat.

"Why…why did you save me? Why?" Kageyama asked.

The Emerald Knight crossed his arms, "That was up to Natsu. He didn't want to see you die. I think you should just be thankful for the fact that he had the intuition to even do anything with you, because if it was up to the rest of us, you would still be at the train station."

"But I'm your enemy! It still doesn't make any sense!" He argued, then he calmed down and said, "Oh, I get it, I'm your hostage…to use as a bargaining chip with Erigor. Well, it won't work…he doesn't care about any of us…"

The Emerald Knight sighed, "We're not using you as a hostage, but feel free to believe in whatever delusion you want…"

"If you want to die so badly, I can make it happen." Gray looked at Kageyama with a frown, "Life and death isn't the only way to settle things. You should think of the future a little."

The car suddenly rocked quite a bit, almost as if they were going off the road, then it was steadied, "Erza!" Gray looked at her, "You doing okay?"

Erza's eyes snapped open and she gripped the wheel tighter, turning the car back onto the road quickly and pressing down more on the pedal. As she felt her magic drain even more, she tried her hardest to keep her eyes open, "Apologies." _Natsu…we'll be there as soon as we can, I promise. I will not let our Master fall!_

* * *

"Come on!" Natsu held a taunting hand out, as both men stood opposite of each other on the train tracks, "I'll do you a little favor and burn up that flute of yours!"

Erigor was confounded, "Kageyama…my wind barrier…" He said to himself, "My entire guild…how did this fly get past all of them…?" He then flew up high, "You stupid flies are such a pain!" He fired high speed wind blasts.

Natsu growled as he was hit, flying back.

"Leave me presence at once!" Erigor assaulted him with more and more, knocking him back further. He eventually hit Natsu off the railway, sending him falling to his death.

"No!" Natsu screamed as he fell. He couldn't even rely on Happy because Happy used up all his magic energy getting Natsu this far.

"So long, Fairy Tail fly!" Erigor laughed.

A large hand made of purple fire latched itself onto the tracks, and Natsu climbed his way back up, he snickered, "Learned that trick from Macao."

"What was the supposed to be…?" Erigor sputtered, "Fire _sticking_ to the bridge?"

"Now it's my turn!" Natsu lunged at Erigor with a flaming fist.

Erigor bit back the blood as he was punched with full force, "He's fast…" Erigor muttered.

"Fire Dragon's Talons!" Natsu landed two successive flaming kicks at Erigor, knocking him back a significant amount.

"Don't get too cocky." Erigor lectured, taking flight again, "Storm bringer!" He shot a raging whirlwind at Natsu, shredding him up and knocking him to the ground, "And now it's time to finish you off!" He took his scythe out and reared back, swinging it at Natsu. Blood sprayed everywhere as he made his mark, but it was Erigor who was surprised, "You caught it…with your arm?"

Natsu snickered, blood leaking from his arm, his cheeks puffed up, "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

"Magic from your mouth?" Erigor asked as he barely dodged the flaming breath attack.

"Hey, stop flying around up there!" Natsu snapped, "Get down here and fight me like a man!"

Erigor had never been more confused in his life. This young man seemed to act completely on impulse, doing absolutely nothing as planned. Was this how all Fairy Tail wizards fought?

"I may have underestimated your power." Erigor said, "So now I think it's time I get serious."

Natsu snickered, "I'm all fired up."

"Storm mail!" Erigor held his arms out, and all the wind in the area blew around him now, cloaking him in a whirlwind and protecting his body.

"Whoa…" Natsu was impressed.

"Now let us begin!" Erigor smirked.

* * *

"Your little matchstick friend is probably dead by now…" Kageyama said.

"Oh?" The Emerald Knight cocked an eyebrow, he was honestly starting to follow Gray's school of thought with killing this fool by now.

Kageyama snickered, "There's no fire magic in the world that can stand up to Erigor's Storm Mail attack. Your friend won't stand a chance!"

* * *

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu lashed a punch out at Erigor, but Erigor simply caught the punch with his hand, the fierce winds whipped out the fire, "Huh?" Natsu asked, he kept using the same attack over and over again, but it wasn't working, and Natsu's arms were slowly getting shred to bits.

"I knew it!" Erigor grinned, "Without your fire, you're powerless! I can't even feel a thing!"

"Huh, what the heck?" Natsu looked at his wounded arms, "How come my fire keeps going out?"

"My Storm Mail blows out your little fire." Erigor explained, "Don't you get it? Flames can't do anything against me!" He held his arms out, "Fire can never beat wind!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Thoughts? Opinions? Let me know with a review. Thanks so much for reading, hope you liked it!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Here's chapter eight! The last Eisenwald chapter has approached. What? Two uploads in one day? I also wanted to thank those of you who added my story to your favorites or who have decided to follow it. I'll do my best to keep things interesting! :)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"Damn it!" Natsu raged, being blown back further and further, "This wind! It's like a typhoon!"

"That's right! It's impossible for fire to reach me!" Erigor laughed, "Now die!" He whipped more lashes of wind at Natsu. Natsu screamed in pain as he flew back even further.

Natsu growled and steadied himself, running forth with a flaming fist to hit Erigor, but Erigor knocked him back to the ground easily, "Don't even think of using fire, it can't even get near me!" He laughed, "You're pathetic, allow me to end your life by using wind magic that cuts anything to pieces! Emera Baram!" He fired out a devastating wind tornado at Natsu.

Happy swallowed hard from the sidelines, "If Natsu takes that head on, he'll be torn apart!"

"Die you flaming brat!" Erigor blasted another attack at Natsu's face as he was running at him.

"Natsu!" Happy cried as the explosion sounded.

"It's impressive that his corpse is still in one piece." Erigor snickered as the smoke cleared, revealing Natsu's limp body.

"Natsu, come on! Get up!" Happy said.

"He wasn't a bad fighter for being so young." Erigor said, "But you won't be so lonely, kid. I'll send all those old fools after you shortly, with Lullaby's tune!" He laughed.

Natsu shook himself off and got up, "Man, you talk a lot…" Then he snarled, "If you want the Guild Master's heads so badly, you should take them on in a fair fight!"

"Natsu!" Happy cheered.

"That's impossible!" Erigor raged, "He's still alive?"

"If you don't have the guts to fight them, then you're just wasting everyone's time with this Lullaby crap!" Natsu lunged at him, cloaked in flames.

"You stupid, stubborn brat!" Erigor held a defensive stance, "Have you forgotten about my Storm Mail?"

"Damn it!" Natsu crashed into him and fell back, yelling in pain. "Why the hell can't I get close to this guy?" He roared as he flames reached higher and higher.

"Your magic is unusual." Erigor noted, "It seems your emotions translate directly into magic power."

Happy narrowed his eyes, "The wind surrounding Erigor changed direction…"

Natsu gave a smirk, "Emotional magic, that's just the basics back at Fairy Tail!" He took one of the steel bars going along the railroad and he ripped it in half, he magic energy increasing.

"Hmm…I remember hearing about magic like this during ancient times…" Erigor mused, "No way, there's no way a kid like him could use ancient magic…"

Erigor eyes shrunk as his Storm Mail attack started to fizzle out, "No! My Storm Mail, it's flowing towards him!"

"I get it!" Happy smiled, "Natsu!" He called.

The fireball demon Natsu turned to Happy.

"Just give up, let Gray handle everything, he'll do better than you." He swatted a paw.

Veins cropped up all over his forehead and his fire exploded to immeasurable levels, "What did you say?" He screamed.

"Unbelievable!" Erigor held a hand up to shield his eyes, "My Storm Mail! It…it's completely vanished!"

"He stripped Erigor of his armor." Happy gave a big grin, "The air around Natsu is heated by fire, it creates a low-pressure area, and wind always flows towards low-pressure areas!"

"I never imagined fire as hot as this!" Erigor swallowed hard.

"I'm taking you down!" Natsu roared.

"He…he must be…he's a Dragon Slayer…from ancient times!" Erigor said.

"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Natsu flew at Erigor, giving him a full-body head-butt encased in flames. Erigor coughed up blood, being sent sailing back. He landed on the ground, completely singed. The Lullaby flute rolled out across the tracks for a little bit.

"What do you think of that, Happy?" Natsu smiled.

"Aye!" Happy smiled back, "Just what I'd expect from Natsu the Salamander!"

"Oh yeah…that doesn't sound like what you said a couple seconds ago…"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Bull crap!" Natsu snapped, "You said I couldn't beat him!"

"But you did Natsu." Happy smiled, "So I guess I was wrong."

Natsu chuckled happily, "Well, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to get here."

"But you did all the fighting." Happy said, "You're amazing Natsu."

* * *

The magic mobile stopped right in front of Natsu and the defeated Erigor, "Natsu…is…is that Erigor, did you beat him?"

"Yeah, you guys are a bit late to the party." Natsu smiled.

"What? Impossible! Erigor could never lose to him!" Kageyama shouted.

Erza smiled as she unclipped herself from the magic mobile and hopped down, but she almost immediately fell to her knees. "…I knew you could do it Natsu…"

"I mean if you had that much trouble with him, you'd make Fairy Tail look absolutely terrible." Gray said.

"Trouble? No…he was easy." Natsu said, "Right Happy?"

"He did keep you busy for a while." Happy said.

Gray smirked, "Bet I could've won quicker."

"Shut up! You would not!" Natsu snapped.

The Emerald Knight watched the two of them bicker, then he looked at Erza, "Are you alright?"

She nodded and wiped some sweat from her forehead, then her knee buckled and she caught herself, only to stumble on a rock on the craggy surface and nearly fall on her face.

The Emerald Knight caught her and helped her stand, "Just lean your weight on me."

Her cheeks blushed a bit as she pulled on him a bit, wincing as his armor rubbed up against her sliced up arm, "Thank you, Ant."

"You're welcome." He said, Happy snickering in the background.

"So, what now?" Natsu asked.

"We need to go tell the Master about what just happened. All the masters, actually." Erza said.

"Alright, sounds good, Clover should be pretty close." Gray said.

The magic mobile suddenly sped past them, its occupant was none other than Kageyama, "You flies left your guard down!" He laughed, holding Lullaby in his hand, "Watch and weep and I kill your masters!"

"That jerk!" Natsu yelled as he sped away.

"I should've known…" The Emerald Knight said, "This is what he does to repay us for saving his life?"

Ezra growled, the Emerald Knight almost felt her body heat up with anger, "After him!" She demanded, breaking free from the Emerald Knight and starting to run.

* * *

Night fell by the time Kageyama approached the large meeting house of the Guild Masters. He peered in one of the windows and he grinned when he saw all the people. "Good." He gave a dark chuckle, "Their little meeting hasn't ended yet…they'll all be able to hear Lullaby from here…I've done it! I've succeeded!"

"Ooh…that's a pretty one…" An elderly voice said, "Yeah…the female wizards of today get into a bit more…action…then they did in my day…"

Kageyama froze, turning around and seeing a little old man reading very vivid magazines with scantily dressed women all over the pages.

The old man screamed, "This…this is nothing!" He hid it behind his back, "I was just research! Honestly! It was just some innocent research!"

"Yeah, whatever…" Kageyama muttered, watching as the old man walked away, "Isn't he…?" Kageyama said to himself, "Master Makarov, of Fairy Tail? Why the hell am I so destined to run into these flies today?" He then rose his voice to stop Makarov, "Excuse me."

"Hmm?" Makarov turned around.

"How'd you like to hear a song?" Kageyama took his flute out, "They won't let me play in the hospital."

Makarov cocked an eyebrow, "That's one creepy looking flute…"

"It sounds good no matter what it looks like." Kageyama said, "Please? I would love to play my song."

"I'm in a hurry, so one song only."

"Of course." Kageyama said, badly trying to hide his grin as he was about to play.

As Makarov closed his eyes to listen, Kageyama prepared himself to play. Remembering on what his entire guild was fighting for. To kill the Guild Masters and get their work back. It was Erigor's brilliant plan, and he was the lucky soul able to carry it out. But then new thoughts hit him. Specifically what his recent enemies had said. The Emerald Knight claiming that this would not get their work back. Gray claiming that death wasn't always the answer. Erza wanting an enemy's help. And lastly Natsu, for actually standing up for him when Karacka tried to kill him. His hands shook as he tried to play the flute.

"There he is!" Gray shouted from afar, as the five of them ran towards Kageyama.

"He's with gramps!" Natsu said.

Guild Master Bob stood in the way, holding an arm out, "Shh! We're getting to the best part, stay here and watch!" He then turned to Natsu, Gray, and the Emerald Knight, "Oh, well aren't you three the cutest things." He gave a little giggle.

The Emerald Knight shivered, "Who is this?" He took a few steps to stand next to Erza.

"Master Bob, of the Blue Pegasus Guild." Erza said, "What are you doing out here?"

"Hello Erza." Bob smiled, "You've gotten so big!"

"What's wrong with you? Hurry up and do it." Makarov said.

"This is bad." Gray said as Kageyama was about to play.

"Calm down." Goldmine said, "This is the good part."

Kageyama held the flute to his face, "All I have to do is play it…and everything will change!" He said to himself.

"Nothing will change." Makarov said, "Weak people will always be weak. But not everything weak is evil. Humans always start out weak. Guilds exist because it's frightening to be alone. That's why we have friends! A lot of people are clumsy and may bump into walls, but if they keep on walking, and trust in tomorrow, their strength will naturally well up. And if you laugh and live strong, you'll never need that flute again." He gave a big grin, "Am I right?"

Kageyama turned paler and paler, the realization that he couldn't do it was starting to sink in. He dropped Lullaby and fell to his knees, "I surrender…"

"Gramps!" Gray cheered, running towards their guild master with everyone else.

"Hey gramps!" Natsu snickered.

"Ah! What are you doing here?" Makarov asked, "I was going to leave the meeting to stop you from destroying stuff!"

"You've always been so encouraging to everyone, family or not…" Erza gave Makarov a squeeze, slamming his head into her chest-plate.

"Ow!" Makarov said, this didn't get any better as Natsu kept rapidly patting his head, "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"You're awesome gramps!" Natsu smiled.

"Stop…patting my head…Natsu…!"

"Ooh, you're a cutie too." Bob looked at Kageyama.

The Lullaby flute on the ground started clattering to life. Its three eyes glowing purple, "All you wizards are cowards and fools!" It rasped in a terrifying dark voice.

"Did…..did that flute just talk…?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"It's changing shape, look!" Happy pointed.

"I can't stand this anymore!" Lullaby thrashed about, eventually it grew and formed into a body, that of a demon to be precise, it was easily the size of a building, "I will feast upon all of your souls!"

Erza rubbed her eyes again, swallowing hard, "It seems our next target is one of Zeref's creations….I…never thought I'd have to fight one this early in my life."

"W-What?" Kageyama screamed, "No one told me anything about this!"

"Oh my, looks like we're in for some trouble." Bob gave a little giggle, his words and his countenance were not matching at all.

"Wow…I'll be damned, one of the demons from the Book of Zeref…" Goldmine said.

"I'm so hungry, I can't stand it!" Lullaby yelled, "I will eat all your souls!"

"He's going to eat souls?" Natsu asked, turning to Gray, "What do they taste like?"

"How the hell should I know?" Gray snapped.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, "So…so this Zeref fellow….he made a monster…out of a flute…or perhaps the reverse?"

"That monster is Lullaby itself. It's living magic." Goldmine explained, "That's Zeref's specialty."

"…can it die?" Erza looked to Goldmine.

"I sure hope so."

"Zeref…but wasn't he from hundreds of years ago?" Gray asked.

"Zeref the Black Wizard. He was the most evil sorcerer who ever lived." Bob said, "I never imagined seeing his dark legacy crop up in my days."

"Now…which soul shall I eat first?" Lullaby mused, "I know…I'll eat them all together!" He fired a hyper beam which exploded and seemed to cause massive damage, even when he missed.

Erza activated her Heaven's Wheel, glowing golden as the new armor clung to her figure. The swords launched themselves at Lullaby, but seemed to do no damage. She growled, jumping up in the air. With the wings on her back, she seemed extremely light in the air, and she displayed this by flying around him and trying to slash him open, with little success.

"Whoa…that's a pretty fast requip." Goldmine smiled.

The Emerald Knight drew his lance and shield, terrified. He never expected to fight a creature like this in his life.

Natsu and Gray were less hesitant, they immediately ran in to help Erza. Natsu cloaked his four limbs in fire and tried his best to burn the wooden demon, but Lullaby fought back easily.

"Know your place, runt!" Lullaby smacked Natsu back with its oversized hand, it then fired off another hyper beam.

Gray stood in the way, holding his arms out, "Ice-Make Shield!" He crafted a shield of ice which blocked the blow.

"Hmm…that's a strange name for a spell…" The Emerald Knight said.

"It's Maker Magic." Happy smiled, "It's the ability to create a form to your magic."

The Emerald Knight nodded, he then ran at the demon, using his occasionally sparking lance to try and jab the creature with it.

Natsu meanwhile latched onto the beasts back, but it was moving so quickly, that Natsu wasn't feeling too good after a while, "Urp…"

Erza landed, switching to her normal armor. She looked back at the masters, then honed in on the left over magic energy she still had. Her body glowed golden as she reequipped into an entirely new set of armor. It was dark as night, but as shiny as pearls. Her torso had little coverage, with nothing more than scarce metal plating that provided about as much coverage as a bikini. Her sides, arms and legs were protected, however, with layers of black metal. There was a black cape-like cloth that covered her back, with gems tracing the collar. Finally, she had a huge set of bat-wings, almost demonic looking. She held a dark sword in her hand as well, which was drawn back to slash into Lullaby.

"Everyone!" Gray said, "Follow Erza's lead and attack now!" He slammed his fist into his open hand, "Ice-Make Lance!" He fired out hundreds of icy crystals, shaped like lances at the beast.

"Flames from my right hand. Flames from my left hand. Combined together…" Natsu smacked both the flames in his hands to create a giant, flaming orb, "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" He threw the orb at Lullaby next.

"Swords of Retribution!" The Emerald Knight held his lance up high. Twelve plasma swords joined all the other attacks.

After being hit by all four attacks, Lullaby could no longer move, it fell back into the earth disintegrating in millions of pieces.

"Well done." Makarov smiled.

"Ooh, they made short work of Zeref's demon." Bob said.

"Impressive." Goldmine added.

Makarov laughed at all the glory and recognition his team was getting.

"Incredible…" Even Kageyama was speechless.

"Aren't we amazing?" Makarov jumped up and down, "Ha, ha, ha!"

"Wow…" The Emerald Knight smiled, breathless, "I…I can't believe we just did that…"

Erza's armor returned to its normal state, she landed besides the Emerald Knight and fell to one knee, catching her breath.

"It seems just when we're out of luck, you have another set of armor up your sleeve for the situation." The Emerald Knight smiled.

She smiled back, "I have dozens at my disposal…sometimes it has to take the heat of the moment to remember this…"

"Well, I don't really get what just happened, but I guess we owe one to Fairy Tail." Goldmine said.

"I don't know what to say!" Makarov kept laughing, then his eyes froze when he noticed something, there was nothing but a big hole where the conference hall used to be. All the gratified faces of the Guild Masters eventually turned sour and annoyed.

Erza swallowed hard and slowly and silently stood to her feet, her eyes eventually landing on Natsu.

Natsu laughed, "Aren't you all impressed on how completely destroyed it is!"

"Alright, come on kids, we're getting out of here." Makarov said, sneakily heading off with the rest of his guild, "Hey, at least on the plus side I won't ever have to go to one of these stupid meetings again!" He snickered.

"Wait, what about me?" Kageyama asked, "I…I guess jail…huh?"

Bob hugged him from behind, "You know, you remind me a lot like myself when I was your age."

Kageyama screamed, "I'm gonna be old and bald!?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Any thoughts? Leave a review! The next chapter will be a bit more relaxed before jumping into the next arc and adding more characters to our pallet.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Here's chapter nine! This is a much lighter chapter, sort of a break before I start chugging through Galuna Island. It was super entertaining to write, I really hope you find it just as enjoyable to read! :)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Makarov oversaw the canyon ahead, turning back around and sighing, "Well…that's a shame, looks like it's going to take a while for the train station to be up and running…we may have to stay on this side of the canyon for a while."

"Really? How come we can't just walk back?" Natsu asked.

"Through these drylands? That would be incredibly stupid. We would grow hungry and tired in mere hours. At the most, it'll only take the rest of the day for everything at the train station to get situated, I say we wait until then. It's safer than trying to traverse a canyon."

"Aw…sure we can't walk?"

"Ha, Natsu just doesn't want to ride a train." Gray snickered.

"Hey, was I asking for your input, ice-stripper?" Natsu snarled.

"Back off, flame-brain." Gray and Natsu butt heads.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "This is going to be a long day…"

"Aye!" Happy said.

"Well, we certainly shouldn't waste it." Erza said, "We should set up some sort of camp to stay the night, and spend the days training."

"Aw…but I already fought like, ten guys in a row, I'm too tired to do any of that stuff…" Natsu complained.

"What would you rather do, sleep on the ground?" Gray asked.

"…what's wrong with sleeping on the ground…?"

"I just hope that Mirajane isn't too worried about our disappearance…she probably expects us to be back by now…" Makarov mused.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it." The Emerald Knight said, "Honestly, you could tell her that a tornado was heading right for the guildhall and she would still have that blissful, sweet smile pasted onto her face…"

Happy flew over to the Emerald Knight with a wicked grin on his face, "That's because Ant-

The Emerald Knight slapped his gauntlet over Happy's mouth.

Erza started walking around, her eyes scanning over the land, then she paused over a particularly rocky surface. "Here. This is the perfect resting location."

"Uh…Erza…" The Emerald Knight started, looking back at all his confused comrades.

She held a hand out, a dark blue blanket appeared in her hand. She unfolded it and laid it over the rocks, which were so sharp they poked holes through her blanket. "Yes, Ant?"

"I…I think we can find a better place than that…"

"I'll say!" Gray held a hand out, "Your blanket has a bunch of holes in it this area is so rough!"

"This location is perfect. I refuse to stay anywhere else, and I will not allow anyone else to travel any further than here. The rugged terrain will toughen our soft skin and make us stronger. Because sleep is so peaceful and calm, it is my belief that this cycle should occasionally be disrupted with painful and harsh sleeping conditions, to develop our bodies' pain threshold."

The Emerald Knight half-wilted, "I'm going to select another location…if it's no trouble…"

"Second that…" Gray said.

"Third." Natsu said.

"Fourth." Happy said.

"I'm getting too old for this…" Makarov muttered.

Erza rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Fine. But when your bodies are weak and miserable, begging for the sweet comforts of home in the midst of battle, you can't blame me." She materialized a pillow and laid that down as well, "Ant. You will come with me. We are overdue for a training session."

The Emerald Knight stiffened and went pale.

Gray leaned over, "Have fun with your little training session." He whispered.

"Yeah, try not to die." Natsu hissed.

The Emerald Knight slapped a hand over both their mouths, "Coming." He said.

* * *

Mirajane sighed listlessly as she scrubbed a spot off the counter, but it was quite persistent. She knew just what it was from, her mind flashing back to a warmer time when she was young, just learning how to serve drinks. She ended every evening by serving the same drink and putting it right in that spot.

He'd drink it as fast as he could and slam it on the counter, a dark stain of booze seeped around the wooden mug and stained the counter forever. It was a tradition that lasted years, she'd always tell him to drink slower so he wouldn't get sick. She remembered the way she laughed every day as he made a fool of himself just for her. He made her forget the pain.

Her eyes looked up as she heard the guild doors open, then she sighed as she saw some lesser guild members walk in.

"What's the matter, Mira?" Cana asked, sitting at the bar a few stools down, "It's not like you to be so glum."

"I'm just worried about the Master and Erza's new team." She fibbed, which almost came naturally to her, "They haven't come back in a long time. I'm really worried something happened. I know Bisca and Alzack went out looking for them, but…" She sighed.

"Oh, please. You know them. They're like cockroaches, cut their fucking heads off and they'll come crawling back here for more booze and jobs."

Mirajane giggled a bit, "Well…I suppose you do have a point."

"Where's your big brother?"

"The…um…graveyard…"

"Oh, shit…sorry…" She muttered, taking a sip of her drink, "Well, I could cover your shift for you if you wanted to go with him…"

"No, no…it's…his bird. Not…"

"Oh, alright." She seemed to cheer up a bit, "He really cared about that bird, huh?"

She nodded, her mind heading back to the old days. The guild was warmer back then, despite the shadows that lurked in the corners, they always managed to push them aside.

"Hey, you alright?" Cana asked, "You keep going off into la-la land."

"I'm sorry." She said, "It's nothing, really."

Cana kicked her feet up on a stool opposite of her, "I think that Emerald Knight has the hots for ya."

Mirajane blushed, "You…think so?"

"Whoa, you're actually blushing! I haven't seen you do that in a while! Normally you shrug guys off like water on a duck's wing." She sat up, "What's your taste in dudes anyway? You're like the pickiest thing I've ever met."

"Well, I generally find men with brains a bit interesting." She mused as she started cleaning dishes.

"Ah…yeah, to me, that's not really a deal breaker. I don't really care if they're dumb. Really, depends what kinda mood I'm in."

"You and I are completely different in that aspect. Comparing us is like comparing a bee to an elephant."

Cana giggled, "Yeah, I like hookups, you like thinking about the future and how many babies you're gonna have."

"Who doesn't?" She giggled.

"Me." She sat back, "I don't think I ever want kids….life sucks ass, why force someone else into it like that? Besides, I'd be a terrible mother."

Mirajane silently puttered with dishes, not bothering to argue with her.

"How many kids do you think you'd want?"

She didn't miss a beat, "Three."

Cana took a sip of her beer, "Yeah…..figured…you'd say that…"

Mirajane turned and served a few people, then she returned to the bar five minutes later and worked on scrubbing the spot off the bar.

"Haven't seen him in a while." Cana muttered, her eyes locked on the stain Mirajane scrubbed at.

She got no response.

"That's a good thing, right?"

She gave a small nod.

Cana sat back a bit, "Family sucks ass sometimes, doesn't it? All those…blood ties…"

Mirajane gave up on the stain, turning back to making food.

"Ugh….I feel cramps coming on. Part of me is pissed, but I'm also happy I'm not pregnant."

"That's good." Mirajane said, stifling a giggle.

"You got anything chocolate-

Mirajane handed her a bag of chocolate chips. "Don't eat all of them. I use them for my special cookies."

"Ooh, Mira-cookies….actually, I'll have a batch of those. I can wait."

"Okay." Mirajane giggled and took the bag back, starting to make cookies.

"So….did you ever have your parents around when you were little?"

Mirajane gave a small nod, "For a little while."

"What did they look like?" She asked.

"My father looked just like Elfman. Well, except he had darker hair."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"My mother I never saw much of, but she had dark eyes, I remember those. I think my father had blue eyes."

"Uh huh."

"My father had a voice like silk. He could sing and bring tears to your eyes. He taught me how to play guitar too."

"Aw…."

"My mother…." She trailed off, "I don't really remember much of her…she…was in the infirmary a lot…Papa and I visited and we sang to her to make her better…she held the others in her arms…a way to keep her body heat up…but…" She grew completely silent.

"Sorry…" Cana muttered, "Jeez, I'm gonna start bawling…"

"No, no, please don't cry." She turned around with her sweet smile, "Fairy Tail is my family. Blood related or not, we're all family. I can't be sad. Not when I'm here."

Cana stood up and squeezed her, "You're so fucking adorable…"

Mira giggled a bit and hugged her back over the bar, "I think I should hurry up with those cookies…."

* * *

As the Emerald Knight and Erza gave themselves some distance from the others, she reequipped into a different set of armor. But really, there hardly was any armor at all. Her hair was now all tied up in a pony-tail, while she wore a black sports bra and black leggings with no shoes. She held her hands out, and two wooden training staffs appeared. "I have more if you want some." She offered.

The Emerald Knight blushed, taking one of the staffs. In a training scenario, two swordsmen were hardly ever equal. There was always a master and an apprentice, and he definitely knew which one of those categories he fit into, he took a small bow, "What is our first exercise, ma'am?"

"Well, I wanted to see where your skills lie. Do you prefer to duel wield, or is one fine?" She asked.

He looked up, "All my life I've held a lance or sword in one hand, and a shield in another. I have never held two blades at once…"

"Did you want to try?" She smiled.

He gave a nervous smile back, "It would look incredibly clumsy…"

"Alright, I suppose we'll work on that later." She got into a fighting stance, he winced as he heard the sharp rocks grind against her feet, "We'll do a practice battle. Without magic. Does that sound alright?"

"Yes, very well." He held the staff in one hand and a shield in the other, to oppose her two staffs.

"Alright, begin!" She called out, running forward and jumping in the air, rearing back to hit him right in the head.

The Emerald Knight held his shield up high, blocking her first staff and going to poke her gently with his own staff, but she blocked it with her second staff, causing a standstill between the two of them for a few moments.

The Emerald Knight wondered how she was able to stay in the air for so long, before he realized she was grabbing onto his chest plate with her feet. She grinned, "Seems one of your strong spots could be one of your biggest weaknesses."

He swallowed hard, trying to pull away from the grapple, half-glad no one else was watching or he would never hear the end of it from Happy.

Her staffs disappeared and she grabbed onto his fist and his shield, lifting her feet away and using them to kick him right in the chest.

The Emerald Knight took a step back, trying not to fall on his rear. The absolutely unorthodox way of how she fought rendered him completely speechless for the time being.

She landed on both feet and materialized only one staff this time, her eyes darting all over him, trying to predict what his next move would be.

His grip tightened around his staff, he knew that he would be much too slow in all this armor to actually maintain an offensive presence, but if he just stood there she would get in with an attack. He darted forth with his staff out to see how she would defend herself.

She did a back-flip to give herself some space, then held out her staff with both hands, blocking his as her feet skidded back. His shield was completely exposed, making her feel rather uneasy. She kicked a leg up and put her foot against his shield, preventing him from bashing her with it.

The Emerald Knight was confounded by how she was able to easily block him despite him being armed much more heavily than she. He narrowed his eyes in focus, then he swept his armored boot towards her foot still on the ground.

Her eyes widened and she landed on the ground, her eyes widening as her bum hit the ground. "….the ground…is…rather unforgiving…"

He put his weapons down and held a hand out, surprised his little maneuver even worked, "Why don't we take a little break?"

She stood up and looked back at the ground, the pointy rocks were tipped with her blood. "The entire point of this was to not lose blood…" She muttered as she stood again, "Well, at the very least, the test demonstrated everything I need to know about you. So now I know where your weaknesses are and where your strong points are." She took the staff back and put it back in her requip space, "I can teach you everything I know about how to fight better. If that were a real fight, with smooth ground and magic, I would have killed you five minutes ago."

He looked at the blood on the rocks. He felt bad before, but now he just felt plain guilty, "Erza…forgive me…" He said, "That…that wasn't right at all…I know you're better than me and you went easy on me…but I was wearing armor…and you weren't, and I had a staff and a shield, while you only had a staff…I was almost bound to hurt you…"

She chuckled a bit, "You're worrying too much. It takes a lot to hurt me. I'll heal in a few days. Just because it's training doesn't mean there can't be any pain. You taught me a good lesson, I'm thankful."

" _I_ taught _you_ a lesson?"

She nodded, "Yes, you brought me to the ground quite easily. In a real battle, you could have taken my head right there."

"I…I suppose I could've…" He mused modestly, "Now…about my weaknesses, and more importantly about the fact that you could've killed me if you wanted to…I'd like to hear your conclusion. I'd like to hear it all." He crossed his arms, "I need to know everything about how I fight. I want to become a lot stronger for this guild. Like you."

She smiled, materializing a pillow so she could sit down on the stones, "Well, let's see." She closed her eyes, "The standoff between us. Where neither of us could do anything? I can hold swords with my feet. And once I held onto your armor, I knew where the plates were and where your body was. I could slice right into you by materializing swords to my feet. Let's see, what else…." She tapped her chin, "It took you quite a while to think about tripping me. Your mind and instincts need to be sharpened a bit, which will only come with time. If that were a real battle, I wouldn't have given you the time to think. My next move would have been made."

"Yes, of course…" He sat across from her. To say he was surprised was an understatement. If Erza fought on his entire elite corps, she would easily defeat them all at once, judging by how quickly she was able to outsmart the Emerald Knight.

"So where is it you even learned how to sword-fight to begin with?" She asked.

"It was from a secretive branch of the army of Fiore." He said, "Seven of us were trained to be efficient both at combat and in magic in order to protect the kingdom. But…I suppose we weren't necessarily indomitable because there are hardly any of us left anymore. Most of us have either died or deserted the order."

"Seven of you…" She mused, thinking a bit, "That's almost worrying. Those who deserted the order, I wonder what they've decided to do with their lives. With their powers and skill…"

"They probably couldn't handle the task master. That's why I left."

There was a look on Erza's face that the Emerald Knight couldn't quite place. He could only tell that she was slightly upset. "Well, it's good you've decided to join a guild. A good guild…though I worry that the others might crop up on our job board."

"I'm glad you're willing to have me." The Emerald Knight smiled, "This is almost like a new life for me."

She smiled, "That seems to be the impression that gets left on everyone who joins. A new family, new friends, new future. I don't know what I'd do without the guild."

He looked off to the distance, seeing Natsu, Gray, Happy, and Makarov fishing over the canyon for something. They were all sitting attentively with fishing rods and everything, "I wonder what the others are doing…"

"Oh, probably something stupid…" Erza turned and looked, "Definitely something stupid. What, are they fishing for rocks?"

He chuckled, "I'd ask but I'm afraid I would get roped into it." He looked back at her, "I have to say, I'm rather impressed with you. I was supposed to be one of the top guards of Fiore, and yet I think you would defeat myself and my six cohorts with little to no trouble." He said, "Then again, I suppose the royalty of Fiore doesn't know what it's doing when it comes to magic. You saw the entire army that was defeated by Eisenwald."

"It makes me wonder why they always send the army after wizards…it's like sending innocent men to die."

"That reminds me, I need to ask you something."

"Of course."

"It may take me a while, but I'd like to learn how to requip like you."

She smiled, "Yes, I'd love to teach you. Though each person develops the ability to requip at different times. Some people take years to learn, some people take minutes."

"When did you start taking up such a divine mixture of magic and swordplay?"

She got very quiet, he instantly felt a wave of emotion come off of her. It was contagious, both the look on her face and the silence she gave off. She even looked a bit paler as she said, "It really isn't important where I learned it, or when. I started when I was young and have been using it ever since."

The Emerald Knight felt his guilt return to him. He stepped on a nerve. He didn't know how, but he did. "Perhaps we should go back to the others, it won't be long before we can return to the guild."

She nodded, as she stood up, her stomach growled. She blushed a bit, her armor covering her again after a moment, as her pillow also disappeared. "I wonder if they have food." She said quietly.

"I really wouldn't get your hopes up with that." The Emerald Knight got up and followed her back.

* * *

"Finally, the freaking train is here." Gray said, starting to walk towards it. It was late in the night by the time one would come near Clover.

"No…please guys, you can't make me." Natsu begged.

"You can walk if you want to, flame-clown, but I'm taking the train."

Makarov walked with Erza as he watched Natsu and Gray argue, with the Emerald Knight occasionally trying to break them up and Happy flying around, laughing with glee, "You did a good thing." He said.

"Forming this team?" She asked, then she smiled, "I think so too."

"Not only that, but you're making Ant feel more welcome to the guild."

"It's hardly anything I have to do. You're more responsible for anything than I am. You're the Master of this guild, you're the one who gives it the atmosphere it has."

Makarov kept looking ahead, again seeing the Emerald Knight try and fail to break up Natsu and Gray, "He's a good kid." He said, "But, like everyone else who joins, there are certain to be some skeletons in his closet. Something he's running away from. You just keep doing what you're doing, alright?" He looked at Erza, "Keep those knuckleheads in line and make sure the third knucklehead feels welcome. Oh, and try not to destroy another major landscape of the country while you're at it."

She wilted a bit, "That's Natsu's fault, not mine…"

"Yeah, he sure does have a high price to pay for all the good he does, doesn't he?" He snickered.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, what did you think? Leave a review! I really hope you liked this chapter! Coloring outside the lines is where a lot of interesting scenes will bloom in the future… ;)


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Happy Labor Day! Here's chapter ten. (Yay, ten chapters!) Hope you like it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Inside Era, the meeting hall for the Magic Council, another meeting was being held about recent events.

"Even with Eisenwald put down, it doesn't actually solve the problem." The feline elder said, "There are still as many dark guilds as there are stars in the sky."

"Then we must begin a plan to eradicate them all." The old bearded elder said, he held up a case containing Lullaby in its flute form, "We cannot afford to let anyone recreate Zeref's magic like they did this time!"

"I wonder how those fools even managed to get something so dark and feared in their possession."

"I realize that Fairy Tail has been a thorn in our side…" Siegrain started, "But admit it, they saved us."

"They did take down an entire guild with only one team." The woman with dark hair and a white tunic said, her eyes flirtatiously darting to Siegrain.

The other elders were stunned into a silence, it seemed Siegrain and his fair acquaintance had made a good point.

"I understand why you would rather not accept it, but it is fact." Siegrain said, "If those Guild Masters were murdered by Lullaby, our situation would have been incredibly worse." He held his arms out, "We perhaps could have been blamed."

"Fool!" The feline elder barked, "How dare you attempt to blame us!"

"Fairy Tail may have its heart in the right place, but the violence it commits more than detracts the good it does!" The bearded elder snapped.

"Why don't you just give them a word of praise or two for one?" Siegrain asked.

* * *

The Emerald Knight took a deep sigh, it felt like it had been ages since he was last home, with his armor off and him in the safety of his small, simple house, he felt so relaxed. He dipped his quill in a little pot of ink and started writing a letter.

"I can't believe the Eisenwald incident made it into the news all over the country. Furthermore, I cannot believe that I was involved in such a spectacle. It was exhilarating, being able to work with a team and actually have mutual trust in everyone for once." He wrote, "Kageyama and all of his cohorts were arrested, if they did not outright die in battle. The only thing that unnerves me is that Erigor was never captured. But…if he ever comes to the guild for revenge, Natsu, Erza, Gray, Happy, and I would be ready to fight him. Supposedly we're Fairy Tail's strongest team. Nevertheless, I love my new life in Fairy Tail. Please continue watching over me, my dear." He finished the letter, then he hastily added at the bottom, "And please don't let him find me."

He folded up the letter and put it in a large stack near a photo. Each letter was addressed to a woman named 'Miranda.' And the picture was of a beautiful women with long black hair and dark eyes, wearing very dark, gothic clothing.

There was a knock on the door, and when the Emerald Knight answered it, Gray was on the other side, in nothing but his underwear, "Hey, so this is where you live." He walked inside, "Nice place ya got…"

The Emerald Knight sighed, "I suppose your clothes are lying out in my front yard…"

"Yeah, something like that." He said, looking at the knight a bit closer, "You look a lot tinier without your armor on."

"I'm aware."

He turned to the Emerald Knight's desk, seeing the quill and inkpot out, "Oh, were you writing something?" He looked at the picture of Miranda, "Who's the chick?"

"No one." The Emerald Knight tilted the picture frame so the image was facing the desk surface, "Did you need something?" He asked, "Or is this just a routine visit?"

"I thought you might forget, so I should probably fill you in." Gray said, "It's happening today."

He cocked an eyebrow, "What's happening today?"

Gray chuckled, "I knew it. The fight." He said, "Natsu challenged Erza to a fight at the train station? Well, it's happening today."

* * *

In front of the guild hall was a massive crowd of people, they were all surrounding Natsu and Erza, who were standing opposite of each other.

"Wow…" The Emerald Knight said, "So it really is happening today…"

"That's right." Gray smiled, "Natsu versus Erza."

"Of course they're serious about something this manly!" Elfman said.

"Well, he is fighting a woman." Mirajane looked up at her younger brother, "I'm not sure how manly she is…"

"Two people from the most powerful team in Fairy Tail." The Emerald Knight said.

"What?" Gray asked.

He looked at him, "Aren't you, Erza, and Natsu the strongest team in Fairy Tail?"

"Pfft, what? Of course not. What idiot told you that?"

Mirajane turned as she was giving a big warm smile. But it immediately turned to tears as she started sobbing into her hands.

"Oh, you're not an idiot, Mira!" Gray said, desperately trying to appease her and stop her crying.

"Natsu and Gray are plenty manly…but they're a lot of wizards stronger than them." Elfman said, "Like me."

"Yeah right, pal." Loke said, "I think you meant to say Mystogan or Laxus as one of the strongest members of Fairy Tail."

Mirajane sniffed as she dabbed a tissue at her eyes, "I was just thinking that the five of them were the best _team_ , not the best wizards…" She murmured.

The Emerald Knight wilted, "But I had to constantly break up their fights…"

"Whatever happens, this should be pretty interesting." Elfman smirked.

"Really? Because I predict a quick and violent win by Erza." Gray said.

Erza's eyes were closed as she stood across from Natsu, completely focused. There was an eventual silence before Erza said, "When was the last time we faced each other, Natsu?"

"It's different this time!" Natsu held a fist up, "I was just a kid back then!"

"I think 'back then' was last week…" Gray muttered.

"Well, then I suppose I was a kid back then as well." Her body glowed golden as she started to requip, "I won't hold back this time, Natsu. It's time to test our true abilities."

Her armor changed to all shades of red, black, or golden. Her torso was covered by a strapless metal leotard, with gold at the top, black in the center, and red around her flanks. Her thighs were covered by black plates, while her knees were plated with gold, the rest of her legs were covered by red plating. Her arms were covered with black and red plating, with some intricate golden designs, leading to red gauntlets with golden claws. She had a black and golden collar on that fed out into two black and red insect-looking wings. Her hair was tied up into two long pony-tails, in her hand, she was grabbing a black sword with maroon blades, and a golden hilt and cross guard.

"Whoa! Flame Empress Armor!" Jet called out.

"That halves the damage from fire attacks!" Droy said.

Happy swallowed hard, like he was making a decision. He walked over to a booth where Cana was watching over the bets, "Can I switch mine to Erza?"

The Emerald Knight's jaw dropped, "You're going to abandon your best friend?" He asked, then he faced front again, "I'm not sure I'll be able to watch the outcome of this battle. I'm completely torn…"

Cana snickered as she took the money, "Hey, Ant, you making a bet? C'mon, only five-hundred jewel."

The Emerald Knight pictured his greedy, unrelenting debt collector for a few moments, then he shook his head, "I'd rather not. I don't have money to spare."

"Two-fifty."

He closed his eyes, "No."

"Don't make me drop it to a-hundred."

"C'mon Ant. Just bet everything you have on Erza." Happy said.

"You stay out of this." The Emerald Knight opened an eye just to scold Happy.

"Cana…" Mirajane gravitated over, standing over Cana with a somewhat…menacing smile, "Are you making friends bet against each other to pay for your alcohol?"

Cana gave a sweet but crooked smile, "Mirajane, dearest, why would I do such a terrible act? This is money for the Homeless Children's Foundation that I've been funding."

"Then why don't I take it there with you after the battle's over?" She giggled, "I'd just love to speak to your volunteer manager."

Cana's eye twitched, but she shivered again as Mirajane looked down at her, "Yup, sounds great!"

"Your Flame Empress Armor." Natsu held a hand out as both his fists were cloaked in flames, "I was hoping you'd wear that. Now I can go all out without worrying a bit!"

"Begin!" Makarov ordered.

Natsu ran at Erza with a high growl, both his flaming fists out.

Erza held out her sword to take a defensive stance.

Natsu skidded to a halt at the last second, combining the flames in his hands together to throw a fiery orb at her, "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

Her eyes narrowed as she jumped in the air, swinging her sword down to crack him right in the head with it.

His eyes shrunk and he ducked it, turning around and trying the same attack again, "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" He threw another fireball, but this time it missed terribly and hit someone else instead, Gray.

"Natsu! You ass!" Gray growled, patting the flames on his trench coat out.

With one hand clutching the ground, she swung her sword out to slice him right in half. Some of the audience screamed at how merciless this battle was becoming.

Natsu jumped back far away to create a distance, "Fire Dragon's Roar!" He spat flames at her.

"This…this fight…my goodness…" The Emerald Knight was speechless. Erza was even more impressive here than when they sparred together the other day.

"Pretty good fight, right?" Elfman smiled, elbowing him.

"Pfft, Erza needs to hand Natsu's ass to him, then it'll be good." Gray said.

Erza flipped back a few times, swinging at him countless times, but he found a way to flip around her or dodge. She'd attack from the air, from below, from both flanks, but he'd dodge and shoot more fire at her. She was able to dodge as well, mostly by jumping around it, or rolling out of the way.

As Natsu ran up to her again, trying to land a more physical attack, Erza dashed forward and aimed right for his arm, rearing back to slice it off.

Someone gave a loud clap, instantly stopping the fight, it was than a humanoid amphibian creature walked onto the scene, wearing elaborate, purple robes, "No one move from this spot. I am an envoy of the Magic Council!"

"Magic Council?" Erza stood tall.

"I'm out. Peace." Cana gathered the cash she swindled and ran.

"Council? What did we do wrong?" Levy asked innocently.

"It…it's a frog…" The Emerald Knight rubbed his eyes a few times.

"During the Eisenwald terrorist case…" The frog started, "There were eleven counts of property damage…as a result, I have come to arrest Erza Scarlet!"

"What did you say?" Natsu snapped.

* * *

Everyone in the guild sat gloomily around the tables, still unable to comprehend the fact that Erza had been taken away from them. Especially Natsu, who was shrunken to a lizard and detained in a little cup facing upside down on the counter.

"Come on guys! Let me out! Let me out of here!" The little lizard Natsu jumped up and down, in a scratchy, squeaky voice.

"Natsu…" The Emerald Knight said quietly, the only reason he didn't raise his voice louder was because he could see where he was coming from.

"Come on! Just change me back! I won't go on a rampage or nothing!"

Mirajane gently rested a hand on top of the cup, "Natsu, we all know the first thing you would do is run after her to save her. And then you'd rematch her."

"Would not! I don't even care that Erza got captured." Natsu crossed his scaly arms.

"It doesn't matter anyway." Gray said, "It's the Magic Council's word against ours."

"Come on! Let me out! Those Magic Council jerks are making a mistake!"

"Natsu, if the council says you're guilty, then you're guilty."

"Kinda weird that they would start picking on us now of all times." Elfman muttered.

"Yeah, it doesn't make sense." Loke said, "We've pissed off the council plenty of times."

"I think they're wrong too…" The Emerald Knight said, "Erza doesn't deserve to be captured, not after all she's done."

"She's usually very clean about how she does battle." Mirajane said, "If their charge is property damage, then it wouldn't make any sense. Natsu destroys the property, Erza just kills."

Natsu muttered something under his breath and tried to free himself from the cup yet again, only to fail.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "So this mess makes even less sense…"

* * *

Erza was being escorted down the halls of the Magic Council by the same frog attendant that brought her in, she eventually saw a figure leaning against one of the pillars, he stepped out into the light.

"Long time, no see, Erza." Siegrain smiled.

"Siegrain!" Erza exclaimed, turning to face him as beads of sweat dripped down her face, "What the hell are you doing here!?"

"You needn't take such a defensive posture, I'm only a thought projection." His amused smile only grew, "Those old dullards in there are also thought projections. No one felt the need to physically come for such a small matter."

"And this small matter is my arrest? The fate of my life is taken with a grain of salt to you? Fairy Tail will not be forgiving for this…."

"I'm mortified…" Siegrain said, but he was being so sarcastic it was impossible to tell if he actually felt this way, "I've always been Fairy Tail's most ardent defender. But those old fools are afraid that the blame for all these damages will fall on them. They want someone to shovel all of the blame on. A scapegoat, if you will."

" _Scapegoat?_ " She hissed, " _Me?_ All I've done is keep Fiore safe! Oh, you're going to regret every breath you've ever taken…"

"I suppose there's no use trying to entertain reason with you." Siegrain said, he leaned in and romantically held her chin, though she couldn't feel his touch, "And don't you dare mention you-know-what to those old fools. For both our sakes."

Her cheeks blushed bright red, her lips stayed sealed.

He backed away, "Now…I'll be just on the other side of this door. As a member of the Magic Council." He vanished in a puff of smoke.

The frog attendant looked at Erza in awe, "You know some powerful people."

Erza almost couldn't hear him over the pounding of her heart that felt like it would give out in her chest, "No I don't." She said softly, "I don't know anyone like him."  
The next room Erza entered held her trial. She had to be on the stand in front of the nine members of the council.

"The trial of wizards will now commence!" A frog attendant announced.

Siegrain watched with anticipation, sitting next to her black-haired acquaintance. _Don't make trouble, Erza. It took me a long time to get this far._

"Will the defendant Erza Scarlet please take the stand?"

* * *

The Emerald Knight growled, slamming a gauntleted fist on the table, "I need to go there! At once! I can't handle all this waiting around! Erza needs to be freed!"

"Calm down Ant, just take it easy." Gray said.

"I'm afraid no one can do anything to help Erza." Makarov said.

"But she was arrested for practically no reason!" The Emerald Knight protested, "I was there! We stopped Eisenwald _and_ Lullaby together! I think a few destroyed buildings can be overlooked for that!"

"Even if you were to go, you wouldn't make it in time."

"Come on guys! Let me out!" Natsu bounced around in his cup.

"Do you really want to be let out, _Natsu?_ " Makarov asked.

Natsu paused, looking a little nervous.

"What's the matter, _Natsu?_ You seem unusually quiet." He said, pausing for half a minute, then he blasted Natsu with a bright beam. The cup blew up and Natsu hit the wall, growing full size as the transformation wore off. But if wasn't Natsu at all. It was Macao.

"Macao!?" Team Shadow Gear gasped.

"But…why?" Mirajane asked, completely shocked.

"Sorry guys…" Macao smiled and casually rubbed the back of his head, "I owed Natsu a favor." He said, "I turned myself into a lizard so Natsu could escape."

"Then where's the real Natsu?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Let me guess." Gray frowned, "He went after Erza, didn't he?"

"Probably." Macao said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to give manly punches to the entire Magic Council." Elfman said.

"Quiet!" Makarov said, "All we can do now is wait."

* * *

"Defendant Erza Scarlet!" The chairman of the Magic Council thundered in a deep voice, "You are called here today regarding the Eisenwald terror incident. Including the destruction of the Oshibana Station. The collapse of the bridge over the Ryusika Gorge, and demolition of the meeting hall in the town of Clover." He said, "According to witnesses, they all agreed that the perpetrator was a woman in armor-

There was a crash from behind the trial room, as the wall crumbled revealing a figure behind smoke.

"What is the meaning of this?" The chairman demanded.

"I am the woman in armor!" Natsu roared, wearing a red wig and a bunch of gray material that was supposed to represent armor, but it looked more like trashcan lids and pieces, "If you want me! You have to catch me!"

All the council members looked horrified, save for Siegrain and his ally, who both looked incredibly pleased, trying to hold back their laughter.

"I'm Erza! See?" Natsu went on, "Go ahead! Try to accuse me of something!" He roared, "Are you saying that all those pieces of junk are more important that people's lives? Ha, ha, ha!"

The chairman took a big sigh, "Take them both to a prison cell immediately…"

"Damn it, Natsu…" Erza hissed before looking to the Council, "My apologies…"

"What? Who is this 'Natsu' you speak of? I am the mighty and powerful Erza! Ah, ha, ha! Ah, ha, ha!"

That night, they both were sitting in a prison cell.

There was a silence between them that seemed to last a lifetime. Erza eventually sat back against the wall, "I'm furious with you."

"Aw, come on Erza…I was trying to help…these guys are jerks." Natsu said.

"I wasn't really in trouble…" She sighed, "It was for show. Though, I'm upset that they used me, and left Fiore exposed to multiple potential dangers by wasting my time with a court case, I would have ended up going back home the next day."

"The next day? No way…"

"All they had to do was demonstrate the Council's power…that they can throw wizards into court when they misbehave. And…now we're in prison. For an indeterminable time. Because of you."

"I…I'm sorry, Erza…"

She leaned her head against the wall, then smiled. Then she just laughed, "You're such an idiot, Natsu…some things never change…"

Siegrain watched their exchange from the other side of the hall, "So…you were assisted Erza. By Natsu Dragneel."

* * *

"Yes! The air outside the slammer sure is the best!" Natsu cheered, stuffing his face and running around, "Freedom! Freedom!"

"Shut up!" Jet snapped.

"Yeah, just sit down and eat quietly like normal people." Droy said.

"I love doing what I want! Freedom! Freedom!" Natsu said, completely ignoring them.

The Emerald Knight smiled, "I can't help but admire his energy." Then his smile faded, "But I can't believe that whole trial was for show." He sighed, "Made me feel so emotional for no reason."

"I should've known the council would something stupid like this off." Gray said.

"But what about Natsu's man-to-man contest with Erza?" Elfman asked.

"That's right. Erza, come on, it's time for a rematch!" Natsu looked at Erza.

Erza's mind was lost in a dark reverie, "Not now, Natsu." She muttered, taking a sip from her tea.

"Here I come!" Natsu ran at Erza with a flaming fist.

She gave a deep sigh, in an instant she reequipped a sword and slashed him upside the jaw, hitting him with so much force he went flying into the wall.

"Whoa!" Happy said, "Just as it started, it ended!"

Gray laughed, "Ha, ha, ha! You suck, Natsu!"

"Erza sure is manly!" Elfman smiled.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, scooting his seat a bit closer to Mirajane, at this point that was an instinct for him.

Mirajane giggled a bit as she looked at the Emerald Knight, her cheeks blushing a bit as she recalled what Cana had told her. "I'm sure he'll be fine. She wouldn't hurt you like that either, you'd have to really get her upset."

The Emerald Knight went pale, "I feel as though I'm in danger of doing that…"

Makarov rubbed his eyes, putting a hand on his weary forehead.

"Are you alright, Master?" Mirajane looked over, "I hope you haven't drank too much…."

"No…I'm just sleepy…"

"Sleepy…?" She asked, looking at the clock and seeing it was just about noon. "That's…odd…"

"Crap…I know this feeling…" Gray muttered as he completely passed out and fell out of his chair.

The Emerald Knight panicked as he saw Makarov and a few others pass out all over the room, "What's happening, what's going on?"

"Oh…it's….really nothing to worry….." Mirajane said before she too, passed out.

The Emerald Knight's eyes closed and he passed out, like everyone else in the guild, making a horrible noise as his armored body hit the ground.

"It…it's him…" Makarov peeked an eye open.

In walked a man in a dark blue robe, his arms and legs covered up with bandages. He wore a dark green bandana as well as a scarf, making his face impossible to be seen. He also had quite a few magic staffs on his back.

"Mystogan…" Makarov said tiredly, trying to steady himself.

Mystogan took a job from the board, a difficult one yielding a high reward, and he then turned to leave, "I'll be going now." He said quietly.

"Wait…" Makarov said, "Take off your sleeping spell first…"

Mystogan kept walking off, once he was out of the doorway, he said, "Five…four…three…two…one…"

Once his countdown ended, everyone woke up.

"Was…was that Mystogan?" Jet held his forehead.

"Bastard…" Gray muttered.

"His sleeping spell sure hasn't lost any of its mojo…" Droy said.

"Who is Mystogan?" The Emerald Knight asked, looking around for a new person.

"One of the S-Class wizards…" Levy rubbed her head, she had bumped it and bent her glasses out of shape as she fell off the table, "He hates to be seen so he puts us all to sleep before coming in."

"That's a little…disturbing…"

"He's one of the candidates for being the strongest wizard. Only the master has ever had a good look at his face though." Loke said, immediately backing away once he realized he was talking to the Emerald Knight.

"I know what he looks like." A smooth, deep voice said from the rarely seen second floor balcony. He was very muscular, with bright blonde hair slicked back, and steely gray eyes, with one large scar in the shape of a lightning bolt going down his right eye. He wore an orange dress shirt with some leopard spots on it, red pants, black shoes, and a black jacket slung on his shoulders with a gray fur trim. There were also black sound pods with spikes around his ears.

"Laxus?" Elfman asked.

"That's another candidate for strongest wizard in the guild." Gray said.

"I don't really see why anyone puts so much stock into that freak." Laxus shrugged, "Why the hell does is matter who he is?"

"Laxus!" Natsu perked up, like a dog sniffing its dinner, "Fight me, right now!"

"Natsu, Erza already beat you in one shot, haven't you gotten enough humiliation for one day?" Gray asked.

"Yeah, what ice cream cone said." Laxus smirked, "If you can't beat someone as weak as Erza, you got no chance against me."

"We're both S-Class wizards, Laxus, there's no need for further segregation." Erza said lowly.

"That may be true, but I outclass you easily." He held his arms out, "I am the greatest!"

"Come down here you jerk!" Natsu snapped.

"Why don't you come up?" Laxus taunted.

"Fine!" Natsu headed for the stairs, he was then punched by a large fist from Makarov.

"You're not allowed to go to the second floor Natsu." Makarov said.

"Aw, you made him mad." Laxus taunted.

"That's enough, Laxus."

"I'm the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail, and you idiots need to get that through your thick skulls. The strongest isn't the redhead or some hooded freak. It's me." He pointed at himself, "So stop competing with one another, because you're only wasting everyone's time. I will always be the strongest."

"That's awfully hypocritical of you." Erza growled, but before he could bite back she turned around and headed for the bar, ordering some cake and tuning him out entirely.

There was a silent tension in the air before Mirajane took a deep breath, "I'm going to hand out free beers in the next fifteen minutes for anyone who would like any."

The guild burst back into warm chatter as they sat down and waited for her to serve them.

By the time night had fallen, Mirajane sighed and scrubbed some dishes behind the counter, smiling as she saw the Emerald Knight sitting across from her, "Can I get you anything?"

"I…I'm confused…" The Emerald Knight said, looking around and seeing just how empty the guild was at night, "There…was so much going on today…"

"Yes, there was. But, it's rare for there to be a calm day around here." She smiled, "You'll get used to the busy days."

Cana smiled from where she was sitting on her table, taking a sip of her beer and winking at Mirajane.

Mirajane blushed and looked down at her glass, then past that to the stain on the counter, "You'll…get used to everything, really. It won't take long."

"But what about that nonsense about the second floor? It…isn't as open and free as it seems. Is it perhaps Laxus's quarters?" The Emerald Knight asked.

She giggled a bit, "No, the second floor is for S-Class wizards only. It's like a private area for them to be able to relax. There's also a different request board. Much smaller. The quests on there are much more difficult. One mistake practically ends with your death." She said, still wearing her bright smile.

He swallowed hard, "Ah…I see…well, I won't have to worry about being one of those for a very long while." He chuckled modestly.

She giggled a bit, "Well, you've been training with one. The Master might put your name down for the S-Class trials one day if he sees how determined you are."

He turned pale, "In that case I'll have to try my best when that day comes…"

Mirajane's eyes darted over to Cana, who was winking an insane amount and kissing her mug of booze, pointing at the Emerald Knight. She turned bright red as she looked back at the Emerald Knight, then went back to scrubbing the stain on the counter. "With the amount of dedication you've shown us so far, I'm sure you would make a perfect S-Class wizard."

"I…I would?" He asked, "Mirajane…is…is something wrong?"

"Hmm?" She looked up, "Why?"

"You're beet red."

That only seemed to spread her blush down her chest, "It's…it's nothing, I promise…sometimes…..I just…break out…..with the…strength of this cleansing agent…"

Cana started laughing hysterically, falling back onto the floor.

The Emerald Knight gave her an unamused look, then he turned back to Mirajane, "Sometimes I worry about her…" He muttered, then he stood up, "Well, I should go, it's getting late. Perhaps it's a fever or something." He leaned in and looked at her color a bit closer, "Don't work too hard, do I have your word?"

She blinked a few times, her big blue eyes staring into his green eyes. "Uh…uh…..uh-huh…." She slowly lowered her eyelids and leaned in a bit, but as she felt no response, one of her eyes peeked open and she saw he wasn't even there. Now she was flushed with embarrassment rather than anything else.

Cana sat up and sat down where he was sitting, "Jeez, that was a train wreck! When was the last time you flirted with someone?"

She sighed, "…perhaps…when I was seventeen?"

"Man, that was rough…" She sat back, "Cleaning agent?"

"He was so worried about me, it was sweet…"

Cana just snickered a bit, "You always see the light in every situation."

Mirajane just gave a little smile. "I….try my best…"

* * *

The Emerald Knight sat in his backyard, lifting weights in nothing but his pants and boots. He closed his eyes, trying to absorb everything he learned today. _So it turns out that we're not the strongest team at all…turns out there are a handful of wizards stronger than us, even. Mystogan and Laxus. Neither of them seemed particularly friendly, however._ He sighed. _Perhaps I should develop a new technique, the ones I've used already will only get me so far. Or perhaps I should learn how to requip head on. But…why would I want to change out of my emerald armor? It's nearly impenetrable…but…Erza did say it had quite a few weaknesses._

Once he was finished with his workout, he put his weights away and put his tunic back on, going inside, not long after that he heard a knock on the door.

Natsu and Happy grinned as they were let in, "Hey, you look beat, were you working out?" Natsu asked as he grabbed the Emerald Knight's arms, "Heh, heh, you're trying to get as big as me, right? Well, it's a nice gesture, but don't get your head too high up in the clouds."

"Silly Ant! You'll always be the smallest!" Happy said as he flew around.

The Emerald Knight's cheeks went pink as he tried to pull his arm away, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yeah, I thought I should tell you that we need to train as a team from now on." Natsu said, starting to do push-ups with Happy right in the middle of his living room, "We gotta build up our strength to beat Erza and Laxus!"

"Aye!" Happy said, "We'll train here all night if we have to!"

"I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but I'm not exactly interested in beating those two…" The Emerald Knight said, "Besides, a feat like that won't occur in one night."

"That's why I've made a decision…" Natsu started, he looked up with a big grin, "Our team is ready for S-Class, Ant!"

Happy held up a poster, with an absurd award and a terrifying looking job.

The Emerald Knight gasped, "How on earth did you get that?"

"Well…I flew up to the second floor…" Happy started, "I took the poster, and I flew out the window…"

The Emerald Knight backed away, as if they both held a bomb, "Keep that away from me! You broke the guild rules! I don't even want to think about what will happen when everyone finds out!"

"Aw, come on Ant…you may not believe this, but this is cheapest S-Class job there is." Natsu said, "But hey, seven million Jewel, huh?" He pat his shoulder, knowing that the Emerald Knight had a huge debt problem.

He swallowed hard, "Even if by some miracle we succeed in the S-Class quest, they won't let us keep the money!"

"Hey, but if we did it, that would make us S-Class wizards, right?" Natsu asked.

"I doubt it…you'd probably have to follow the rules to earn that right. Mirajane told me everything about the process."

"Ooh, he _loves_ Mira!" Happy said, unfortunately for the Emerald Knight, Happy was too high in the air to be silenced.

"But that's so boring…" Natsu said, "It'll take us like a billion years to be S-Class that way…"

The Emerald Knight sighed and sat at his desk, "You two will have to go alone, I don't want to get in trouble for this. I'm fairly new, and this will not be a good impression."

"But it's to save an entire island." Happy said, landing on his desk and holding the flyer out.

"Island?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"The cursed island of Galuna!" Natsu and Happy read from the flyer at once in spooky voices.

The Emerald Knight turned pale, "That sounds like we'll die once we take four steps onto the island!"

"Would you go if I promised you half a fish?" Happy asked.

"No." The Emerald Knight said flatly.

"Fine, then we're outta here." Natsu headed for the door.

"Aye." Happy said, and they both left.

The Emerald Knight sighed, the he gasped at his desk. _Drat! They left the flyer here! Now I'll be caught up in the blame if someone finds out that there's an S-Class quest missing!_ He picked up the paper and read it a bit more closely. Part of him felt bad. The knight in him wanted to save all those villagers from whatever the curse may be. _Maybe I should help Natsu and Happy. If it's anything like the Daybreak task, then they may need a scholar to help them with information. It'll just be in and out. Perhaps we'll get it done before anyone notices the flyer is missing. That way when we get back we'll get a mild scolding, but if we actually save all those people's lives, I can't see how we would receive that bad of a punishment._ He sighed, now he was going to have to tell Natsu that he changed his mind and he wanted to help.

* * *

"Master!" Mirajane ran downstairs to the first floor, "One of the jobs on the second floor are missing!"

Makarov sipped from his mug of booze, delaying for a moment, then he spit it out in surprise.

* * *

 **A/N:** So? How was that? Questions? Comments? Critiques? Let me know with a review. :) Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Here's chapter eleven! Welcome to Galuna Island! Let's see how the Emerald Knight handles breaking the rules ;)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Makarov furrowed his brows in thought, "I wonder who could've done such a thing…"

"Now that you mention, I think I saw a cat burglar make their way up here last night." Laxus said, "A cat burglar, with wings that is."

"Happy?" Levy's eyes widened.

"That means Natsu and the Emerald Knight are trying to pull off an S-Class quest…" Jet said.

"Without permission!" Droy added.

"Have they lost their minds?" Alzack asked.

"I really didn't think they were _that_ stupid…" Bisca muttered,

"That's a pretty big breach of the rules." Laxus sighed, stretching his hands behind his head, "This means, expulsion, right gramps?"

"Oh boy…" Makarov thought about it, "They'll be lucky to even _survive_ this quest…"

"Laxus." Laxus heard a voice over his shoulder, Mirajane was standing over him with her arms crossed, one of the rare moments she wasn't actually smiling, "If you saw Happy take it, then why didn't you stop him?"

"All I saw as a stupid cat take a flyer and run off with it." Laxus said, "How the hell was I supposed to know that it was Happy going to help Natsu?"

Mirajane's gaze hardened, it almost looked like her shadow grew darker. She was grief-stricken, but right now, she was too angry to form tears.

"Oh? I haven't seen you make that face in a while." Laxus chuckled, "Damn…looks kinda hot."

"This is bad." Makarov looked up to the two of them, "Which request was taken?"

Mirajane's eyes looked over to Makarov, the flames behind them softened a bit, back to fear and worry, "The cursed lands of Galuna Island."

"The demon isle!" Makarov gasped. He turned to Laxus, "Laxus, go and bring them back, immediately!"

"You're kidding, right?" Laxus asked, "I've already got a job today. There shouldn't be a wizard in the guild who can't look after himself, right?"

"It has to be you, no other wizard can bring Natsu back by force!"

Gray stood up, "Master, I can't let that last comment go unchallenged."

* * *

The Emerald Knight looked around with a smile on his face, "Hargeon once again…this sure does bring back memories."

"It wasn't even that long ago…" Natsu pointed out.

"Ant's having a midlife crisis…" Happy said.

The Emerald Knight began to lead the way through the harbor, "We should find a boat to Galuna as soon as possible."

"No way! That's out of the questions. We're swimming there." Natsu said.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "If we tried to swim, then your only partner would drown before we would even _get_ to the island…"

The Emerald Knight started asking around for possible trips to Galuna Island, but most of the sailors had pretty much the same thing to say about that.

"Galuna Island?" One sailor asked, "You're kidding right? I refuse to go anywhere near there."

"I don't want to hear it anymore…" Another said, "I don't even want to know who you people are!"

"It's a cursed island, you've got to be out of your minds!" A third sailor said.

They reached the last sailor, he had tanned skin, a black moustache, and a beige cape and bandana over his simple clothes, "I don't know why you want to go." He started, "But you won't find a ship that'll take you there. Even the pirates avoid that place."

"I see…" The Emerald Knight sighed, ready to give up.

"Alright, then I guess we'll have to swim there!" Natsu grinned.

"Swim?" The sailor asked, "That's an even surer way to commit suicide, unless you don't mind man-eating sharks down there…"

"I'll just burn them all to a crisp!" Natsu said.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "How would your fire work underwater…?"

"We might as well try."

The Emerald Knight shook his head, "This was a bad idea from the start."

Someone grabbed Natsu and the Emerald Knight from behind, "Found you!" Gray smiled.

"Gray?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"What are you doing here?" Natsu snapped.

"I'm here to drag you back. Master's orders." Gray said.

"You mean they found us out already?" Natsu's jaw dropped, shocked that they were able to discover their master plan so quickly.

"Yeah, so let's go. If you come back now, you might not get expelled."

"Expelled?" The Emerald Knight felt all the color go away from his face.

"I don't wanna go back!" Natsu argued, "We're gonna be S-Class!"

"They call it an S-Class quest because idiots like you won't stand a chance against 'em!" Gray said, then he shuddered, "Oh, and if Erza found out what the hell you guys were up to…"

"Save me Gray!" Happy flew onto Gray's shoulder, "Those two forced me to come along! They're bad eggs!"

"We most certainly did not force you!" The Emerald Knight snapped.

"I'm doing this to put Laxus to shame." Natsu said, butting heads with Gray, "I'm not going back!"

"This is the Master's orders!" Gray shouted, ice materializing in his hand, "I guess I'll have to smack some sense into you."

"You want a piece of me?" Natsu roared, fire burning in his fist.

"Stop! There's no reason to fight over this!" The Emerald Knight stood in the middle of them. He had to admit, the burning hot on one side and the freezing cold on the other was starting to mess with his internal body temperature, every time he split these two apart.

"Magic?" The sailor asked, looking awestruck, "You…you guys are wizards?" He asked, "You wouldn't be going to rid the island of its curse, would you?"

"Yeah!" Natsu smiled.

"We would at least give a good attempt." The Emerald Knight gave a small smile.

"You two knuckleheads aren't going anywhere!" Gray snapped.

"Get on." The sailor said.

"Yay!" Natsu and Happy cheered.

"You're serious?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"What?" Gray asked.

Natsu snickered darkly, he bashed Gray over with a flaming fist, dragging him onto the boat, "Help me get him on!"

"We…we're bringing him with us?" The Emerald Knight stammered.

"If we let 'em loose, the next person to come will be Erza."

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, maybe he should go back.

"Alright, let's go to S-Class island!" Natsu cheered, but as soon as the boat started moving, he fell over, "Urp…"

With Natsu and Gray both not making much noise, the Emerald Knight had time to sit and think. (Besides the occasional harassment from Happy.)

The Emerald Knight went pale as Gray woke up, "Ah…hello Gray…how…how's the weather…doing…there…"

"How's the weather my ass!" Gray snapped, "Why the hell am I tied up?" He asked, "How could you do this to someone in your guild?"

"Not to point fingers, but Natsu did all of that…nevertheless I apologize greatly for it…I didn't know this would cause so much trouble."

"Mister…" Gray looked at the sailor, "Why'd you decide to take us? Just cause we're wizards?"

"My name is Bobo." The man said, "Long ago, I was a native on that island…"

"You were?" The Emerald Knight asked.

He nodded, "I escaped…that awful cursed island…"

"What is the curse anyway?" Happy asked.

"The tragedy will fall upon you too." Bobo said, "That's what it means to go to this island. Do you really think you can remove the curse?" He pulled his arm out from under his cape, it was black and twisted, horribly disfigured and demonic, "The demon curse." The three onlookers had their jaws' agape to such horror, a silence followed.

"Mister…your arm…" Gray swallowed hard.

"So…so the curse…relates to demons…?" The Emerald Knight asked.

Bobo looked ahead, "It's come into view! Galuna Island!"

The trio looked ahead, seeing the haunted island get closer and closer, "Uh…sir…do you mind me asking-?"

The Emerald Knight started, but when he turned around Bobo was gone.

"W-Where…where did he go?" The Emerald Knight gulped.

"Did he jump out?" Gray wondered.

Happy dove in the water to search, then his little head popped out of the water, "He's not in the water!"

"What?" The Emerald Knight shivered, "Okay…I want to go home now…" He knew he was going to be ill-equipped for the job, but he had no idea it was going to be _this_ bad.

"Don't complain to me." Gray said, "You guys roped me into this." He looked down at himself, "Literally…"

To multiply their troubles, a wave came right for their little boat, ready to swallow them into the see.

"No…our luck was already bad enough…" The Emerald Knight looked up.

"Urp…" Natsu said.

"Someone get me outta these ropes! I'm gonna die!" Gray thrashed about.

The tidal wave smashed into their boat, rendering all of them unconscious. When they woke up, they were on dry land, a beach.

"Whoa! Is this Galuna Island!" Natsu sprang up, happy he wasn't on transportation anymore.

The Emerald Knight stood up and tried to get all the sand and water out of his armor, "It appears so…I have to say…it looks slightly less terrifying once the sun is out…but…that man…Bobo…he concerns me…told us about a demon curse and then disappeared…"

"Whatever, let's start exploring!" Natsu started walking off.

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

"Wait, Natsu, just be careful!" The Emerald Knight followed after them.

"There should only be one village on this island." Natsu said, "I think that's where the request was made."

"Hold on just one second." Gray said as he got up.

He frowned, "You can't honestly want us to go back after we came all this way…"

"No. I'm coming with you." Gray said, "It'd be irritating to have you two clowns be S-Class before me. And if you got expelled it'd get pretty boring without ya."

The Emerald Knight smiled, watching Natsu and Happy cheer. He was definitely going to owe Gray one for this.

"Let's go." Gray grinned.

The village was a bit more inland, the only problem was there was a giant wooden gate with a sign that read, 'Keep Out.'

"Keep out?" Gray asked, "What kind of a village is this?"

The Emerald Knight timidly knocked on the gate, "Hello?"

"I give up." Natsu said, "Let's just bust it down."

"Not yet!" The Emerald Knight said.

"Who's there?" One of the village guards asked, a duo of them were patrolling the top of the wall, near the gate's mechanism.

"We're from Fairy Tail." The Emerald Knight said, "Here to help with the curse."

"We didn't get word that someone accepted the request…"

The Emerald Knight felt a pang of guilt after that one.

"There must've been some kind of delay in getting the reply." Gray fibbed, "But we'll just leave if you don't need us."

"I'm not leaving!" Natsu snapped.

"Shut up!"

"Show me your guild marks!" The guard said.

Natsu simply turned slightly to reveal the one on his shoulder. Gray lifted up half his shirt to show the one on his chest. Happy moved his bag out of the way to reveal the one on his back, and the Emerald Knight took his gauntlet off and held his left fist up.

"They look like the real deal to me." The second guard said to the first.

"Very well, we'll let you speak to our chief." The first guard said, opening the gate.

The walked into the center of the village, met with a large group of people wearing cloaks. In front of the crowd was a little old man with a large wooden staff, "Welcome, my wizards." He said, "There is something you need to see immediately, everyone take off your cloaks."

The villagers all took their cloaks off, and like Bobo, they were only half-human, with demonic body parts mixed into their features. Some had their arms converted, some their legs.

"I should have known." Gray said.

"Whoa!" Natsu said, "Your sideburns are huge!" He pointed at the chief.

"Er…no…what I meant to show you was this." The chief held out his dark purple demon arm, "Every living being on this island is affected by the curse!"

"What makes you so sure that it's a curse?" Gray asked, "You sure it's not a disease?"

"We've been checked out by dozens of doctors." The chief said, "There is no disease in the world that could explain this…" He said, "Besides, this has to do with the magic of the moon."

"Magic of the moon?" The Emerald Knight asked, having no idea what role the moon would play into this, he never assumed entire planetary bodies could be magic.

"Originally, this island was known for the gathering of moonlight as a magic power source, but lately, the moon has been turning an odd shade of purple."

"Purple?" Natsu asked, "I've never seen the moon do that."

"The moon seen from this island is purple." The chief said, "And every time it's shone onto the island, we transform."

As if on cue, the clouds of the night sky began to roll away, revealing a purple moon, "The moon's coming out!" Happy pointed.

"My word…" The Emerald Knight's eyes shrunk, the purple moon gave him chills.

"The curse of the moon magic! Observe!" The chief said.

The villagers all writhed in pain and shook with agony, as they demonic features multiplied until their entire body was that of a demon.

The Emerald Knight took a few steps back, terrified of this demon village.

"Jeez, what the hell happened to you guys?" Gray swallowed hard.

"Forgive us for scaring you." The chief said, his body now purple and pointed, "Whenever the moon in the sky turns purple, we take on these ugly demon forms. If this isn't a curse, than what is?"

The four of them witnessed some of the younger villager children crying and the parents trying to appease them. Overall, these demon villagers were terrified for their lives, crying and wanting to go back to normal.

"Once morning comes, we all return to our original forms." The chief said, "But as the transformation grows more permanent, some of us lose our very souls!"

The Emerald Knight got even paler, "You…you mean they start _acting_ like a demon…?"

He nodded, "It is a law that anyone who loses their mind shall be put to death."

"How could you do that?" Natsu frowned, "They might change back someday, right?"

"If we let them be, they'll kill us." The chief said, "We've tried to imprison them, but they've broken free numerous times!" He held up a picture, "That's why I had to kill my own son!" He teared up, "My son became a demon right down to the soul!"

The Emerald Knight's eyes shrunk further, it was a picture of Bobo.

"I finally understand why he disappeared." Gray mused, "He couldn't properly rest in peace…"

The Emerald Knight started shivering again, he wasn't sure how much more of this S-Class quest he could take.

"I thank you wizards for coming." The chief bowed, "I beg you to please save our poor island…if you don't…we'll all become demons to the soul and lose ourselves…" He sniffed.

"We'll never let that happen!" Natsu clenched his hands into fists.

"There is one way to undo the curse…" The chief said, pointing his staff to the air, "You must destroy the moon!"

"What? Destroy the moon?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"We changed into these forms because of the purple moon, and if it goes on, we'll lose ourselves! This is the only way to remove the curse! The moon must be destroyed!"

* * *

"The more I look at it, the creepier it gets…" Happy kept looking at the purple moon, from out the window of a little cabin the Fairy Tail team was given.

"Then perhaps you should shut the window." The Emerald Knight said.

"Why?"

"Because the last thing I want to be is a demon during this quest…"

"Eh, you'll be fine with all that armor, only your face will turn into a demon face." Happy smiled, as if this were somehow good news.

The Emerald Knight's eye twitched.

"In fact, it might even be an improvement-

"Don't you dare finish that sentence…"

"I just have no idea how to tackle this." Natsu said.

"Yeah…destroying the moon…" Gray started.

"Is impossible?" The Emerald Knight guessed sarcastically.

"I can't even guess how many times I'd have to punch it before it finally blows up." Natsu said.

Gray's jaw dropped, "You're actually going to try it?"

"Yeah, course I am."

"It's impossible, no one could do that."

"I agree with Gray." The Emerald Knight said, "There has to be a more practical way to reverse this."

"But our request was to destroy the moon." Natsu said, "If we don't do it, it'll make Fairy Tail look bad."

"Yeah, but there are basic limitations that sort of fly into our faces with this one." Gray said, "How would we even get there?"

"Happy." Natsu didn't miss a beat.

"I…I can't fly in space…" Happy said.

"Look, the villagers are scared right now, in a panic. They're desperate for a solution, so that's what they came up with." The Emerald Knight said, "We'll have to look for a different way to save them tomorrow."

"Yeah, good call." Gray yawned.

"Alright, let's get some shut, eye, then we'll explore the island!" Natsu smiled, laying down his futon down.

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

"I'm pretty beat too." Gray said.

"As am I." The Emerald Knight said, "Very well, we shall set off tomorrow."

That night, the Emerald Knight learned just how much Natsu snores.

* * *

"It's too early…" Natsu groaned.

"Yeah, why do we have to go out at the freaking crack of dawn?" Gray asked.

"I just want to get off this island as soon as possible. The villagers need our help." The Emerald Knight said. It never occurred to him how much of an early riser he was, at least compared to Natsu and Gray. He gently shook Happy, "Happy, wake up."

"Aye…" Happy's eyes peeked open.

"You're up early." The guard at the gate said, "Did the fear of demons keep you up?"

The Emerald Knight chuckled, "No, of course not, nothing like that."

"Before we destroy the moon, can we explore your island a little bit?" Gray asked.

"Wait? We _are_ destroying it?" Natsu asked.

"Be my guest." The guard let them out, after a moment he shouted, "But you better be careful in the forest! There are…crap…they're gone already…"

"I can't believe you were going on about how impossible it was to destroy the moon even if we're going to do it anyway!" Natsu snapped.

"We're not." Gray said, "I only said that so the villagers wouldn't get mad. It's still impossible to destroy the moon."

The Emerald Knight nervously looked around himself in the woods, with each passing minute on this quest, he felt more and more uneasy. Especially now, he felt like something was watching him.

"Hmm? What's that?" Gray looked around, hearing a loud stomping noise.

The group turned to see a giant blue rat, complete with a bit of women's clothing, a lacy black top and a white bonnet. It gave a large squeak at them.

"A rat!" Natsu gasped.

"It's huge!" Gray pointed.

"What in damnation?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"You big ugly thing!" Natsu raised a fist in the air. The rat puffed its cheeks up.

"What, you're gonna blow something at us?" Gray asked, "Well…not with my Ice-Make Shield-

It was too late, the rat already blew a noxious gas at the group, causing them to fall to their knees and cover their noses.

"That stinks! What the hell was that smell supposed to be?" Gray coughed, then he looked over at Natsu, who was basically paralyzed, "Oh yeah, forgot that your nose was a bit more sensitive…"

The mouse gave another roar-like squeak, started to gallop after them.

"Run! Let's get the hell outta here!" Gray said.

The Emerald Knight tried to keep up with them, his armor slowing him down a bit, "Why is it always a large hulking monster?" He complained.

Gray whirled around, bending over and touching the ground, "Ice-Make Floor!" He froze the ground in front of them. The rat hissed and slipped on the ice.

"Nice!" Natsu grinned.

"Over there! Hurry!" The Emerald Knight pointed to an old, ancient temple, "We'll lose it in there!"

The interior of the temple was old, broken-down, and crumbling. The stone structure had many moon symbols dotted all around it.

The Emerald Knight looked around, "This place may house a clue for us yet."

"It's falling apart…" Natsu noted.

"How long ago was this thing built?" Gray wondered.

"Huh…look at all these moon marks…" Natsu pointed.

"Well, that old guy did say it was the island of the moon or something like that."

"This _still_ relates back to nothing but the moon…are we actually going to have to destroy it?" The Emerald Knight mused.

"This place is a wreck…I wonder how bad the floors are." Natsu said, tapping his foot on the ground.

The Emerald Knight held a hand out, "Natsu, don't-!"

The floor crumbled underneath them and they all fell into the lower levels of the temple.

"You idiot!" Gray snapped as everyone rubbed their heads or backs and tried to get up.

"What a weak-willed floor." Natsu shook his head in disappointment.

"Since when do floors have wills at all?"

"Is everyone alright?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Yeah…" Gray sighed, "You freaking idiot." He looked at Natsu, "Did you ever try thinking first and acting later? You might like it!"

"Does…does anyone know where we are?" The Emerald Knight asked timidly. There weren't even in the temple anymore, by the looks of the blue rock walls that surrounded them, they were in a cavern now.

"It looks like we're in the ruins of the temple or something." Gray said.

"Ooh! Secret temple ruins!" Natsu snickered, "Since we're here, we might as well check the place out!"

"As long as you don't go destroy anything else, I think we'll actually agree for once!" Gray said.

Natsu froze in his tracks, "Whoa…"

"What is it Natsu?" The Emerald Knight followed his gaze, then his jaw dropped.

"What are you guys staring at?" Gray asked.

The group of them lost all the color from their faces. In front of them was a huge monster trapped in ice…

* * *

 **A/N:** Ooh cliffhanger! So? Any thoughts? Leave a review! Thanks for reading, hope you liked it! :)


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Here's chapter twelve! Ooh, double upload! Lyon's great debut! Hope you like it! :)

* * *

In front of the group of wizards was a demon encased in ice. It looked twice as fierce as Lullaby, sending chills down all their spines.

"Deliora!" Gray shouted, practically a scream.

Natsu and the Emerald Knight looked at Gray, this creature was new to them, but it seemed Gray had a history with it already.

"It's impossible! It can't be here! How could…how could it even be in a place like this?"

"Get ahold of yourself!" The Emerald Knight put hand on Gray's shoulder, then he realized how insensitive he must have sounded. Clearly Gray has encountered this monstrosity before. He tried to lighten up his tone, "Could you perhaps fill the rest of us in on what this is?"

"Deliora." Gray said, "The demon of destruction."

"Demon of destruction?" Natsu asked.

The Emerald Knight looked behind himself, "I think the explanation is going to have to wait." He said, "Someone's coming." He hid behind a rock.

"What? I don't wanna hide…" Natsu whispered, but he was dragged back anyway with everyone else.

Two men walked into the room, one was more of a dog than a man. His face resembled a canine's and he had pointed ears sticking out of his brown hair, he only wore pants and black shoes. The other man was a bit shorter, with tall blue hair and huge eyebrows. He wore a long dark green coat, and white shoes.

"God, now I'm always so tired in the afternoon…" The man with the huge eyebrows yawned. The dog man only provided a yip in response.

"Hey, so have you been bathed in moon drip?" The man asked, "Cause I mean…those ears…"

"I haven't been bathed in moon drip!" The dog man snapped, "They're just part of the new style! Figure it out!"

"I was just pulling your leg." The blue-haired man said. The dog man providing a yip in response.

"Moon drip?" The Emerald Knight muttered to himself, unfamiliar with the term.

"Yuka! Toby! It's terrible!" A feminine voice called as a woman ran over to the other two men, "Angelica's been beaten up by some…. _monsters_ …." She spat the word like a disease.

She was rather tall and slim, with short curly pink hair tied up in two pigtails. She had bright blue eyes with pink lipstick and purple hoop earrings. She was wearing a dark blue corset with a light pink top underneath, a shirt skirt as well that was fringed with the same light pink color. She had full sleeves as well, though her shoulders were exposed. Finally, she wore tall leather boots that reached her mid-thigh, with two light pink feather-like strips of fabric hanging down her back.

"Sherry." Yuka said, "I'm glad to see that you were able to join us."

"Your dumb rat got beat up?" Toby barked.

"Angelica isn't a rat! She works just as hard as us, living and breathing the same air we do…she is love…."

"So…so _these_ are the ones behind all this?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"They're not from this island. Their smell is different." Natsu whispered.

"Yeah, they're not cursed either." Happy murmured, "I don't like the dog guy…though…"

"So we have intruders?" Yuka asked, folding his hands behind his back.

"And when it's almost time for the moonlight to be gathered?" Sherry asked, "How unfortunate…" She looked mournful. "Let's drive them away before our Cold Emperor hears of them…before the moon even rises!"

"Yes. I couldn't have come up with a better idea myself." Yuka said, Toby yipping in agreement, "They have seen Deliora." Yuka went on, "They must not be allowed to live."

"We have to bring these invaders to an endless rest…or _love_ …" Sherry clasped her hands together.

"You mean, 'death', right?" Toby asked, as the three of them left the cavern.

"What's with you?" Natsu snapped as they got out from behind the rocks, "We could've beaten the crap outta them and then got the information."

"I had no idea what we were up against…" The Emerald Knight sighed, "I thought it was best to be careful…"

"Looks like we got caught in something complicated." Natsu said.

"Who were those people?" Happy asked.

"Damn it!" Gray clenched his fists, "Why the hell do they wanna unfreeze Deliora?" He said, "Another question is how did they find where it was sealed…"

"Sealed?" Natsu asked.

"He was sealed in a glacier in the Northern continent."

"He was?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Ten years ago…the demon appeared near Isvan…" He started, "And my master, the woman who taught me my magic, Ur, placed her life on the line to seal him away!" He clenched his fists again, this time icy magic emitted from his palms, "I don't know what this has to do with the cursed island…but…this is messed up. The Cold Emperor, who is he? If this Cold Emperor is trying to disgrace the name of Ur, I won't let it happen!"

"That demon was sealed away by your teacher?" Natsu asked, truthfully it was a lot to take in.

"No doubt." Gray said.

"And it was originally in one of the Northern continents, but it was transported here?" Happy asked.

"So is this perhaps the root of all the problems this island is facing?" The Emerald Knight mused.

"Wouldn't surprise me at all." Gray said, "I mean, it is still alive."

"Alright." Natsu grinned, holding his fists up, "If that's the only problem, then I'll just kill Deliora."

"Don't you think you're a little in over your head?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Nah, I'll be-

Gray punched him in the face, with such force that it knocked him back significantly, left a bruise, and floored him in seconds.

"Gray, you jerk!" Natsu looked up from the ground, "What the hell was that for?"

"No fire wizard should ever get near that, you hear me?" Gray asked, "If that ice melted and Deliora got freed, no one would be able to stop it!"

"You think it would melt that easily?" Natsu snapped.

Gray paused, he looked at the ground.

"I'm sorry Gray." The Emerald Knight said, "I didn't realize how important this was to you…but if we need to stop a resurrection than say no more, I'll do what I can in my limited power to aid you."

"What are you apologizing to him for?" Natsu snapped, "I'm the one who got punched for no good reason!" He stood up, "Bastard's too violent."

"Natsu, I don't think you have the right to make fun of him for that…" Happy said.

"My Master used a spell called Iced Shell on Deliora. It's ice that can't be melted! Even if it was in an inferno for years it wouldn't suffer a scratch! But if they knew that, then why would they bring it here?" Gray asked.

The Emerald Knight put a hand on his chin, "Maybe they didn't know that. Perhaps they brought it here trying to use this moon drip to see if it'll free it."

"Why would they do that?" Gray raged.

The Emerald Knight shuddered, "I find no reason for it. I can't even think of a practical reason for bringing a demon back from the icy depths of hell…"

"Damn it…I don't like this. Why would they bring Deliora here? For what reason?"

"Guys, it's much simpler than you two are making it." Natsu said, "Let's follow those three and beat the crap out of them!"

"Perhaps Natsu is right." The Emerald Knight said, "Three-on-three, it would be a balanced and fair fight." This comment earned a 'hey, what about me?' from Happy.

"No." Gray said, "We should wait here. Wait until the moon comes out."

"The moon?" Natsu half-wilted, "But it's the middle of the afternoon! I'll die of boredom if I have to wait that long…"

"What benefits would waiting grant us?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"I think that moon drip and Deliora are connected. They must be doing something with the moon to try and free Deliora. Something about gathering the moonlight. I just wanna see if it's true." Gray said.

"Very well." The Emerald Knight crossed his arms, "You're an expert in this demon, as far as I'm concerned, so I'll follow your lead."

"Well I can't!" Natsu held his forehead, "I'm gonna go after those guys!"

Ten seconds later, after being goaded into sleeping by everyone else, Natsu was snoring just as loudly as he was in the cabin.

"Wow…I have to say, I'm jealous…" The Emerald Knight said, "I wish I could fall asleep that quickly…"

"Aye! Me too." Happy said.

Gray sat on a tiny rock, reminiscing about his times with Ur. How strict, yet kind she was. Her training was bizarre, and sometimes impossible to bear, he was only around eight years old at the time, but Ur was the closest thing Gray ever had to family.

The Emerald Knight sat next to him, "Are you alright?"

"What…what are you talking about, I'm fine." Gray said, suddenly realizing that he was crying. He brushed his tears away hastily.

"Look, I want to help you with this." He said, "I'm sorry about getting you roped into this, and doing an S-Class mission without permission, but I want you to know that I'll help you make sure that Deliora does not walk the earth again. I'm sure Natsu would agree to that. You're not alone in all this. Don't ever think that. Natsu, Happy, and I have your back."

He sniffed, "Thank Ant."

After a long while, the entire lower section of the temple shook with a maddening power.

"What is that?" The Emerald Knight yelled.

"Is it nighttime yet?" Natsu woke up.

A large purple beam of light slammed down onto Deliora, causing the figure to glow in an eerie purple light.

"The roof…" Gray said, looking up at a huge hole in the ground, leading to the upper levels.

"It's opened up!" Natsu pointed.

"It's purple light! Is it the moonlight?"

"The moonlight's hitting Deliora!" Happy said.

"It's no coincidence, come on, let's go see how they're pulling this off!" Gray said.

"Right!" Natsu said as the rest of the group followed.

The climbed to the top of the ruins, seeing a purple beam being blasted through nearly every floor.

"What is that?" Natsu asked once they got to the top. Near one of the magic circles emitting the purple beam, were a large cult in purple robes, chanting something in a foreign language, "The moon? They really are using the moonlight!" He said as they hid behind some wreckage. Sure enough, the chant was taking place right under the moon, where the giant beam of purple light originated from.

"So they really are trying to melt Deliora…" The Emerald Knight mused.

"But that's impossible!" Gray said, struggling to keep his voice down, "Iced Shell cannot be melted!"

"I…I'm not sure about that…" The Emerald Knight said. He had quite a few hours to observe the frozen Deliora, and the top part of the once mighty glacier seemed a bit lackluster. This strange moon drip, while it probably took ages, it slowly melting the Iced Shell.

Gray growled, "Those idiots! They don't know how terrifying Deliora can be!"

Natsu clenched his fists, "So it's their fault then, what happened to the villagers must be some kind of side effect of the moon drip!"

A man walked into the center of the group. He wore a blue tunic, gray armor that covered his legs, a big luxurious white cape with a gray fur trim, and a gray helmet with horns and a dark mane over his face. The three odd wizards from earlier were rallied around this caped leader.

"Damn…I was up all afternoon…" Yuka said, "And we still didn't find the intruders…"

"Were there even any in the first place?" Toby wondered.

"Cold Emperor…" Sherry swallowed hard, "It's tragic…it seemed…there were intruders earlier, but now…now they've disappeared….the situation is so dire, I don't even have the will to talk about love…"

"Intruders?" The Cold Emperor asked, in a deep, cool, proper voice.

Gray's ears perked up. Why a voice opposite to his other than its pitch was unknown for the time being.

"Is that guy the Cold Emperor?" Natsu asked.

The Emerald Knight nodded. He never wanted to say anything like this about an enemy out loud, but this man really spoke to him in turns of what to wear. The Cold Emperor's outfit was incredible.

The Cold Emperor looked back at Sherry, "Have they been able to bring back Deliora yet?"

"They estimate it will be ready by tomorrow." She said.

"Then the time is almost here." The Cold Emperor said, "About the intruders, I really don't want to let anyone interfere…"

She nodded, "The only people that should be left are the people in the village on the other side of the island."

"So be it." The Cold Emperor held his hands out, "Then eliminate the village!"

"Yes, my love!" Sherry said.

"Yes sir!" Yuka smiled, Toby giving a yip in agreement.

"What?" Natsu snapped.

"The villagers have nothing to do with this!" The Emerald Knight said, "We need to protect them!"

"It's a shame, I dislike pointlessly spilling blood…" The Cold Emperor said.

"That voice…" Gray trembled, with remembrance.

"I'm fed up with all this hiding!" Natsu jumped out, "We're the ones trying to stop you! Not the villagers!"

The Emerald Knight gave a small smile as he grabbed his holstered lance, "I suppose we must settle this with the glory of battle."

"Fairy Tail?" Sherry looked at the guild marks, "They've come with love?"

"No, the villagers must've requested their help." Yuka said.

"What are you three waiting for? Go destroy the village!" The Cold Emperor ordered.

"What?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"But why?" Natsu growled.

"Intruders, and those who plot with them, are nothing but enemies!" The Cold Emperor dramatically waved a hand.

"Damn you!" Gray ran up to him, "Stop this half-baked screw-up of a ceremony right now!" Gray launched a barrage of ice at the Cold Emperor.

"…ice? Another ice-make mage?" Sherry asked.

The Cold Emperor dismissed the ice attack with one hand, casting an ice barrage of his own against it and cancelling out both attacks.

"He's an ice wizard too?" Happy asked.

"Lyon…" Gray growled, "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Hmm?" Natsu turned to Gray and his opponent.

Lyon gave a cold chuckle, "It's been quite a while, Gray."

"You two…have met before?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"What's the meaning of this?" Gray raged.

"So…is it fate that _you_ were one of the wizards petitioned to stop me? Or did you come knowing that I would be here?" Lyon asked, "Not that it really matters."

"Cold Emperor Lyon knows these people?" Yuka asked, with Toby giving a confused bark.

"Carry out my orders and destroy the village! I can handle all of these fools myself!" Lyon said.

"Yes, my love!" Sherry said, the three of them running off.

"You're not going anywhere!" Natsu ran after them.

"Wait, Natsu, don't do it!" Gray held a hand out.

Lyon held a hand out and froze the center of Natsu's body, almost freezing him entirely solid. Natsu screamed, trying to get the ice off of him.

"Happy, take Ant and go!" Gray yelled.

"Aye!" Happy took the Emerald Knight and flew off with him.

Gray grit his teeth and fired off another barrage of ice at Lyon, but Lyon casted an ice shield and blocked it perfectly, all with one hand.

"I…can't move…" Natsu growled, his entire midsection was encapsulated in a thick ball of ice.

"Happy, put me down right now!" The Emerald Knight said, "Unhand me! Gray can't take that man on alone, he needs my help!"

"We would just get frozen too!" Happy argued.

"But…but what about Natsu? We can't just leave him…"

Happy sniffed, "We need to protect the village!"

The Emerald Knight sighed, getting a little tired of himself for accidently offending so many of his friends on this trip, "Hey, what good is ice against Natsu, right?"

"Aye!" Happy smiled through his tears.

"So, you created a diversion to let your little cat and knight friends get away?" Lyon asked, "A valiant effort, but it won't make a difference. They stand no chance against Sherry and the others."

"Don't you dare underestimate Fairy Tail wizards!" Natsu yelled, ready to start to battle the Cold Emperor.

Gray kicked him off the ruins, and since his body was round due to all the ice, Natsu rolled down the hill, screaming, "Gray! You jerk!"

Aside from the cultists doing the moon drip, it was just Gray and Lyon now.

"What a hasty and selfish move." Lyon chuckled darkly, "Was he not your ally?"

"You could easily shatter that ice around him and Natsu himself if you wanted to." Gray said.

"I see. So, you sent him far away for my range of magic so I cannot reach him." He smiled, "You do make a good move once in a while, maybe in a decade or so I'll take you up as an apprentice."

"Don't talk to me like that!" Gray snapped, "We're not training together anymore! We're not Ur's students anymore!"

"That's because Ur isn't a part of this world anymore."

"She gave her life to seal Deliora!" Gray screamed, "And you want to destroy the thing that she left behind for us?"

Lyon took his helmet off, revealing white spiky hair, and cool blue wide, but narrow eyes. "You're confusing your memories Gray. You're the one who killed Ur." His eyes darkened, "How dare you shamelessly go on living…"

* * *

Natsu eventually hit the bottom-most section of the island, near the beaches. "Gray…you jerk! I'm not gonna forget this!" He wobbled up, trying to get the hang of walking, he tried to burn away the ice with his fists, "This ice isn't melting from heat, what the hell is this stuff?" He started hobbling around, "There's no time to worry about that! Gotta get back to the village! God damn it! It's hard to run like this!"

* * *

On the open seas, a pirate ship was sailing, on it was a modest crew, and a captain with a black beard, a little tan hat with a skull and crossbones on it, and the whole pirate coat, pants, and boots, "So why do you even want to go to this island?" He asked nervously, steering the wheel.

"It isn't important. If you want to live then keep moving forward." Erza said lowly, her arms crossed.

"Don't make me do this…please!" The captain begged, "They say Galuna Island is cursed! They say it turns men into demons!"

"I'll turn you into chum if you don't keep moving forward."

"Ah!" He screamed, "Yes, me lady, I'll just keep moving forward then…"

She stood towards the helm of the ship, growling, "Natsu…Ant…Happy…Gray… …punishment will be the least of your worries when I drag you back home…"

* * *

"You're the one who murdered Ur, Gray!" Lyon snapped, his otherwise calm looking eyes beginning to get bloodshot with both ambition and weariness, "I'm surprised you even have the nerve to mention her very name!" He launched a large icy projectile at him, knocking him down flat.

Gray struggled to get up, wiping the blood from his mouth, "Lyon…"

"What's wrong?" Lyon asked, "Is the guilt finally settling in after all these years? If so, then get out of my way, I need to revive Deliora, and it's clear you don't have the strength to stop me."

"I won't let you!" Gray snapped.

"Very well." Lyon sighed, "Then perhaps I'll try to finish you a bit quicker now. Ice-Make Eagle!" He shot a large flock of icy birds at Gray.

"Ice-Make Shield!" Gray held his hands out, a shield came out to protect him. The problem was that the birds flew around his shield and pelted his backside, bloody holes were now all over his back.

Lyon laughed as Gray fell to his knees, "How pathetic, have you already forgotten how our magic differs? You cast Static Ice-Make magic, while my creations move. Motion Ice-Make magic."

"Ice-Make Hammer!" Gray launched a big hammer made out of ice, headed straight for Lyon.

"Ice-Make Ape!" Lyon cast a large gorilla made of ice with one hand, it punched away the icy hammer with ease, "What a sorry sight you are." He chuckled, "You still need two hands to cast your Ice-Make spells."

"Well, yeah, that's how Ur taught us." Gray said, "One-handed Ice-Make spells are clumsy and lack balance."

"You'll find that I am an exception to the rule." Lyon said, "I have long since surpassed Ur's teachings."

"Don't give me that load of bull…" Gray spat to the side.

"I should really be calling you clumsy and out of balance, have you even hit me yet?" Lyon cocked an eyebrow with a smile.

"Don't go thinking I'm like how I was back then!" Gray growled, "Ice-Make, Geyser!" He cast am impressive pillar of ice, it was one of his strongest attacks. It made most of the cultists scream and run for their lives.

Lyon however, was unmoved by the attack, "You'll find that I'm not the same either. I was the elder disciple. I was always stronger than you. You could never hit me once with your attacks back then, just like you can't now. Nothing has changed." He shook his head, "Though are paths may have diverged, we were always frozen in time, at the same skill gap, you and I."

An icy dragon rose from the depths of the temple as Lyon was speaking, it rocketed up to Gray and smashed him into the air. Gray screamed in pain as more blood leaked from his back.

"That is why I will melt that ice." Lyon said, "So I can finally surpass her. Ur was always my goal. It was my dream to surpass her, but, you destroyed that dream. I will never get a chance to defeat Ur. However, there is the matter of Deliora. A monster that Ur couldn't even defeat. If I can take down the great Deliora…" His grin widened and his eyes grew a bit more excited, "Then I will achieve my dream! I will surpass Ur!"

"You're insane Lyon!" Gray screamed, "That's what you're after! Don't you know how terrifying Deliora is?" He panted for a while, "Don't try it…you don't stand a chance!"

Lyon's eyes widened a bit further, like Gray had broken the final straw, "Don't try? I don't stand a chance? Back then, we said the same thing to you!" Lyon send a large array of ice at Gray, Gray fell back and coughed up blood, "You couldn't have forgotten, you fool! It's because you challenged Deliora that Ur died!" He shot out more and more blizzards of ice, knocking Gray down the ruins, "You have no right to even mention the name of Ur! Be gone! Be gone from my sight, you scum!"

* * *

 **A/N:** I love to write the tension between these two! Gray is probably my favorite character of Team Natsu, so naturally I loved this arc. What do you think? Leave a review! Thanks for reading, I hope you really liked it!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Here's chapter thirteen! :) Have fun reading, it's fun to be these new characters.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"You're pitiful…" The ice-ball-Natsu walked up to the bloodied and defeated Gray, "He really beat the snot out of ya, didn't he?"

"N-Natsu…what are you doing here…?" Gray coughed.

"I couldn't find my way back to the stupid village, so I tried to climb up higher and see…"

"Where's Lyon?"

"Who knows? He isn't here anymore, he's probably helping with the ceremony." He picked Gray up and slung him on his back, "Damn it, Ant won't be able to fight the three of them alone! We need to find the village!"

Gray sniffed, tears welling up in his eyes even though Natsu was the last person he wanted to see them. He went back to a time where he was still Ur's student. True to Lyon's word, Ur did warn him that Deliora was too strong:

" _No!" She said, "There's no way you can beat Deliora! You don't stand a chance, Gray!" Ur said, with the younger Lyon looking on with apprehension._

In fact, it mirrored the other day when Natsu claimed he could take on S-Class:

" _I'm taking that S-Class quest!" Natsu said._

" _They call it S-Class cause idiots like you don't stand a chance against them!" Gray argued._

What a hypocrite. Just how pathetic was he?

"Natsu…" Gray sniffed.

"Huh…? What is it?" Natsu asked.

"I'm sorry…I've got no right to badmouth you…I don't have a right to say anything…"

"Quit crying just because you lost!" Natsu screamed, "We're Fairy Tail wizards! We don't give up when we lose, we just keep trying harder for next time! For tomorrow!" He said, "If we can't keep running for tomorrow, we might as well be dead."

* * *

The Emerald Knight crossed his arms, in the center of the village, "That's the bulk of it. We have discovered the people behind you transformations. If we can perhaps detain them, we could undo the process as well."

Some of the demon villagers chatted about their options.

"You _say_ capture them, but I'm pretty sure the three of them are wizards." Happy said, "It's not gonna be that easy."

"Yes…" The Emerald Knight said, "The way it stands now, I'm not sure you and I could defeat three of them. One of them, sure, but they outnumber us…"

"What is the meaning of all of this noise?" The chief asked, looking around.

"Ah, chief, I'm glad to see you." The Emerald Knight said, "If I should discuss the battle plans with anyone, it should be you."

"Battle plans?"

"Yes, now, the enemy is coming from the temple in the forest, which gives us some time to plan a counterattack and perhaps stop them-

"I don't know what you're talking about! Why haven't you destroyed the moon yet?" He barked.

"The moon is no longer the real culprit here…now, the enemy-

"The moon! Destroy the moon!" The chief thrashed about, eventually some of the villagers grabbed him to hold him down.

"Don't worry about him." One of the demon villagers said as the delusional chief was being dragged off, "He's still distraught about his son…Bobo…"

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard. This isn't a game. _This could be the early stages of his insanity. He might need to be put down if I keep stalling!_ But it was just four enemy wizards? How could four wizards be so hard? And cultists. And Deliora if the moon drip goes right. Okay, maybe this was a bit out of hand, perfect for S-Class alright.

"Now, as for my plan." The Emerald Knight walked over to where the gate typically opened, although he was standing a bit to the side, "When they come through, I'll jump out and get in a surprise attack, either stabbing them, electrocuting if my lance is fully charged, or both."

Most of the villagers wilted, "That's a stupid plan…" Happy said.

"Stupid? I mean, it's basic, but I think hiding first is better than being in plain sight."

"But it's the oldest trick in the book!"

"Well, this village only has one entrance, it's the best strategy I could come up with. I think everyone should hide in fact. Hidden warfare tactics always work. Especially if it's three against a village, their superior firepower won't work then."

"I still don't think it's gonna work…" Happy said.

"Me neither…" A villager said.

"Uh…I'm sorry to say, but me too…" Another villager said.

"I must agree." Yet another villager said.

The Emerald Knight took a deep sigh, he doubted he had enough time to think of another strategy now.

"Mister Emerald Knight sir!" One of the guards patrolling the gate said, "I think someone's coming this way."

The Emerald Knight nodded, hiding at the barrier of the fence.

"Hey everyone!" Natsu called out, "Are you all okay?"

The Emerald Knight jumped out and slashed Natsu in his torso, lightning lighting up all over his body.

Natsu screamed and fell back, green lightning crackling off of him.

"So somebody _would_ fall for it…" A villager whispered, as the Emerald Knight's jaw dropped further and further at what he had just done.

"I thought it'd be impossible…" Another villager muttered.

"Hey…" Natsu sat up, "What the hell did you do that for…?"

The Emerald Knight got on his hands and knees, "Natsu, forgive me! It was an accident! I thought you were the enemy!"

"He totally has beef with you." Happy said, but the Emerald Knight slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Well, Gray's down." Natsu gently put Gray's bloodied body down.

The Emerald Knight's eyes widened, "Lyon defeated him?"

Natsu nodded, then he smiled, "Hey, that stupid ice block around me is gone! Yahoo!" He cheered.

"That…that wasn't me…was it?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"It was probably just because Natsu left Lyon's field of magic and the ice weakened." Happy said.

The Emerald Knight nodded, then he knelt down before Gray. His eyes hardened, he really felt for Gray, he knew what it was like to be constantly compared to other pupils, other trainees. These freaks were going to pay for this.

"So wait…those guys aren't here yet?" Natsu asked.

"No…" The Emerald Knight blinked, "Which is strange, because I thought they left before we did…"

"Yeah, and I was carrying Gray, and I had a block of ice around me, and I was lost." Natsu said, "In other words, it took me a while to get here."

"Yeah, that's weird…" Happy said, "They're taking too long…"

"Pfft, so they're lost, how pathetic!" Natsu snickered.

"Hey, what's that up there?" A villager pointed.

A rat was flying in the air, three passengers on its back and a large bucket of jelly in its arms.

"It's a flying rat!" A villager cried.

"What the hell is it carrying?" Another asked.

"It took quite a while for her to prepare the poison jelly…" Sherry mused.

"Lucky for us it's perfect timing." Yuka said, "Those wizards are all clustered into the village too." He said, with Toby giving a yip in agreement.

"Until Deliora is resurrected, anyone in our way will be met with the final love…of death…"

The bucket swayed a bit in the wind, a droplet of green poison splashed out and fell towards the ground.

The Emerald Knight looked up, "What…what is that?"

Natsu jumped forward and tackled the Emerald Knight to the ground. The droplet his a small plant, eroding it as well as the ground around it.

The Emerald Knight's eyes shrunk, "Oh…oh my…"

"That smell. It's poison." Natsu said.

"They've got a bucket full of that stuff!" One of the villagers said, as the village began to panic.

"Are they going to dump it on all of us?" Another villager asked.

"Jeez, how ugly." Yuka noted, "I never thought moon drip would make people so hideous. They're practically demons at this point."

"Yes, I agree…they might as well be children of Zeref…." Sherry sighed, "Angelica, do what you must!"

The rat obliged and dumped the entire bucket over the village, a green liquid splashed down and was going to melt the place in one shot.

The Emerald Knight took a few steps back. There was no way out of this. Were they all going to be melted?

"Everyone! Get in the center of the village!" Natsu ordered, "Happy, let's fly!"

"Aye!" Happy picked Natsu up and started flying as the Emerald Knight and the villagers gathered to the center of the village.

"I can't leave Bobo!" The chief hugged Bobo's grave stone.

"Chief! I know how you feel, but…" A villager tried to pull him away.

"Flames of my right hand! Flames of my left hand! Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" Natsu throw a big fiery orb at the poison, splitting the poison up into a fraction of what it was.

"He blasted it apart?" Yuka asked, "He's a fire wizard…"

"Chief, come on!" The villager pulled the chief away at the last second before the poison rained down.

"Look at our village!" One of the villagers looked around.

"It's completely melted!" Another said.

"This is a disaster!" A third villager said.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "Their village lies in ruins…but at least the villagers themselves are safe…"

"Aye." Happy said.

The chief wiped tears away, then he looked ahead, "Bobo's grave…it's still intact!"

The three passengers of Angelica the rat have since descended. Yuka kicked Bobo's grave aside as the three of them opposed the village.

The chief shivered and broke down crying.

"How tragic…" Sherry's sweet condescending voice rang out, "We wanted to make this short and painless for you all, but you've brought us no choice." She stood, crossing her arms and pouting, "We'll have no choice but to spill your blood." She sighed, "Anyone who stands against the Cold Emperor will be brought to their knees by none other than yours truly."

Natsu and the Emerald Knight exchanged a glance, they glared at their three opponents with a few veins sticking out in each of their foreheads.

"A group of villagers…two wizards…I'd say this'll take fifteen minutes…" Yuka grinned.

"They dared to defile…Bobo's grave…" The chief growled, "I want their heads!" He sprang out, being held back by the villagers.

"You must all leave!" The Emerald Knight said, "Take Gray with you! He's in no condition to fight!"

The villagers obliged and took Gray's unconscious body with them, starting to run off.

Sherry gave a disappointed sigh, "Angelica, love."

Angelica grabbed Sherry and took off with a squeak.

The Emerald Knight narrowed his eyes, in the slight moment that Angelica was still flying low and he stuck his lance up, sticking it deep within the rat and flying away with them. Angelica made a few uncomfortable squeaks and her flying suffered as a result of it.

"Whoa, did he just seriously do that?" Happy asked.

"That's pretty cool…" Natsu noted.

"Who is this?" Sherry snapped.

The Emerald Knight gave a small smile, green lightning leaked out from his lance and it shocked Angelica, lighting up her body, some of it connected to Sherry as well. Sherry screamed, gripping her nails into the rat's fur as her hair frizzed up. Angelica eventually lost altitude and fell someone deep in the outer forest.

"Jeez…he stuck onto her like a flea…" Yuka said.

"I don't have fleas!" Toby snapped.

"I didn't say that, get your ears checked…"

"Damn…he better be alright against her…" Natsu said.

"I hope he isn't dead already." Happy said, his wings coming out, "I'll go see if I can help him!" He flew off.

"Good idea!" Natsu said, turning to his two opponents, the craggy barren landscape that was once the village served as a perfect battlefield, "And I'll be here, taking out the trash!" Natsu ran out with two flaming fists, punching both Toby and Yuka. Toby flew back and yowled with pain, but Yuka blocked it with a mystical, blue force field.

"That's a pretty savage flame attack." Yuka smiled, unscathed, "And fighting two of us by yourself…how brave. So you must be Natsu the Salamander I've heard so much about."

Toby slowly got up, regrouping himself around Natsu.

"Still, we were from a pretty famous guild ourselves. So you won't be able to defeat us so easily." Yuka went on, "Have you heard of the guild Lamia Scale? That's the guild where Iron-Rock Jura is from." He said, with Toby giving a yip in agreement.

Natsu blasted fire out of both of his palms, flooring Toby again.

Yuka blocked it with another shield, "Hey you jerk, listen to me when I'm talking!"

"You think I give a damn?" Natsu asked, "Really? Who cares what guild you're from and all that? You're attacking my clients, you're interfering with my job. As far as I'm concerned…" His eyes darkened, "That just makes you an enemy of Fairy Tail."

Yuka grit his teeth, "Toby, stay out of this, I'll take him myself."

Toby nodded and backed away a little.

"Wave Motion!" Yuka fired little blue blasts at Natsu.

Natsu jumped up a bit so he could dodge it, rolling around for a moment to steady himself.

"You're fast." Yuka smirked.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu spat out flames at Yuka.

Yuka held his arms out, and a blue shield projecting, nullifying the flames, "These waves, in my hands, neutralize any magic. You could call it anti-magic magic."

"So that's why my fire isn't doing anything to you." Natsu said.

"In Lamia Scale, I was their anti-wizard personnel, you know why?" His grin grew, "Because all wizards are powerless before me!" He fired two more waves at Natsu, but he dodged them both.

Natsu ran up to Yuka, with a flaming fist out.

Yuka held his hand out plainly, catching the fist and nullifying with a wave barrier, "I already told you, your magic is useless in my wave."

"Fine, then I won't use magic." Natsu snickered, "See? My arm is through your barrier right now, just fine."

Suddenly Natsu felt electricity zap through him as the barrier zapped him, he screamed loudly.

"You just put your arm through a wave barrier. Not smart." Yuka said, watching him writhe in pain.

Natsu growled, sticking his entire head through the force field and getting zapped even worse.

"What?" Toby looked utterly confused, "Why is he putting his whole body through it?"

"Maybe magic can't get through your wall, but I can, right?" Natsu snickered through the pain.

"This guy's insane!"

"But what are you going to do about it Salamander?" Yuka smiled, "You can't use magic in my wave."

"Not inside the wave maybe…but outside…" Natsu said.

"So? I still don't get how that'll-

"Fire Dragon's…" Natsu's elbow flared up, being safely outside the barrier, the magic continued as usual.

"You're increasing the strength of your punch by using a fire booster?" Yuka asked, but it was too late.

"Flame elbow!" Natsu zipped forward and cracked Yuka right in the jaw, sending out a considerable amount of blood and rendering him unconscious, "Well, that's one down."

Toby made an amused yip, "You're pretty awesome." He said.

"Yeah? Well you're next pal, don't say I didn't warn ya." Natsu said.

"Pfft, yeah right. I'm loads stronger than Yuka." Toby smiled. Yuka made some sort of unconscious murmur in an effort to rebuttal that. His green nails sharpened into huge claws, "I've got the paralyzing claws of the poison-jellyfish! Their ability is a secret!"

"They paralyze people?" Natsu's eyes narrowed.

"Whoa! How did you know that?" Toby asked, "You're scary dude. You got ESP or something?"

"No…" Natsu said, "You're just an idiot."

"Don't call me an idiot!" Toby lunged forward, taking the offensive immediately.

"Whoa!" Natsu jumped back, dodging his swipes.

"One touch of these claws and it's all over!" Toby threatened, "You'll be stuck until you die!"

"Hey, wait a second…" Natsu stopped, "You got something stuck…right here…" He put a hand on his forehead.

Toby slowly put his own hand to his forehead, then he lit up and cried out as he was shocked by his own claws, falling to ground in defeat.

"Yup, just an idiot." Natsu sighed. He walked over to the flat stone and put it back over Bobo's grave, "These guys have down some terrible things. But we'll get the village and everyone in it back to normal. Count on it!" He looked out into the distance, "These people deserve revenge, and we'll make it happen."

* * *

"You…demon…..monster…filthy…animal!" The Emerald Knight heard a piercing tone over the edge of the cliff he had landed by. He looked up to see Sherry standing there, tears streaming down her cheeks. She tried to wipe them away, "The Cold Emperor…he'll never trust me now…he'll never love me!"

"How unfortunate for you." The Emerald Knight held his lance and shield firm, "Those will the least of your miseries when I'm through with you. Your defeat will echo amongst the winds of this island and blood will be the only payment for all of your transgressions!" Not only was he eager to fight for Gray's benefit, but this island had been a creepy, confusing mess for long enough. He was itching to have a real straightforward battle.

"You don't even care about Angelica, do you?" She squealed, "I'll never forgive you!" She screeched.

"Oh, your barbecued rat?" The Emerald Knight grinned, "She was just the first casualty, I'll have you know. This is just the beginning for the fall of the Cold Empire."

She bit her lip as her teary eyes widened. She held a hand out. Nothing happened.

It was strange enough. After spending days with mages, he started to know what it felt like to feel magic power coming from someone else's body, and he swore he felt a lot coming from her, but she didn't launch any attacks.

Suddenly, he saw the shadow of the tree behind him get darker and grow. He turned around to see the tree had turned into some sort of deranged puppet, with a gaping mouth and holes for eyes. The tree raised its branches back to swat him.

"By the gods!" The Emerald Knight held his shield out, "The tree has a life of its own!"

"Kill him!" Sherry screeched.

The Emerald Knight held felt a stiff blow as the tree raised one of its wooden limbs to crack at his shield. He grit his teeth. _I need to dismantle this monster…piece by piece…I have four magic attacks…half of them aren't even useful for this situation, I'll have to rely on my lance alone for this._ He ducked in low and slashed through the tree a few times, leaving gigantic holes in it. The Emerald Knight would have to stop occasionally to defend himself from the blows of the tree branches.

The Emerald Knight panted. This wasn't getting him anywhere, his eyes darted over to Sherry. "Ah, I see now. If I attack the controller, I won't need to waste time with her beast! Emerald Hawk!" The Emerald Knight fired out a bird at Sherry. The bird lightning gave a shrill shriek as it glided towards her.

Sherry gasped and back flipped out of the way, stumbling a bit on her heels as she landed, but she caught herself, "You jerk!" She spat, "Wood doll, kill him already, love!" She snapped.

The wood doll smashed its wooden limbs against the Emerald Knight, sending him flying back. He tumbled in the ground, getting up and putting his shield away. He held his lance with both hands, and made one more dismissive strike within the doll, ripping it to pieces.

Sherry gasped, "My doll! You jerk!" She sniffed, "My love will never accept this! I cannot fail him, this mission means more to him then you'll ever understand! If you step aside and stop being so selfish with your island, you'll learn just what true love really is! You too will understand, but not by fighting us so ignorantly!"

"If that is your best, than I feel sorry for you." The Emerald Knight countered, "If throwing inanimate creatures at me is all you can do, than this fight won't last long. Hide behind whatever creatures you desire, it shan't make the outcome of this battle any different. That fate was already sealed long ago."

* * *

Lyon stared at the frozen Deliora, his reflection could be seen a slight amount. Whether he was constructing battle plans or was lost in his memories, it was unclear.

"Cold Emperor." A slightly aged male voice said as a figure hobbled over, "Why is it that you didn't remove of this Gray character?" He asked. He was short and hunched over, wearing brown robes. He had a bright red mask on with a large green hair-like attachment going down his back.

"Hmm?" Lyon turned around, "I suppose I very could've." He smiled, "Spilling blood unnecessarily just never appealed to me…"

He gave a small chuckle, "Yes, I suppose having acid rain down on the villagers would be quite the clean mass homicide." He mused, "Even so, those wizards seem to be giving us a bit more resistance than we had planned."

"Yes, an unfortunate conclusion." Lyon put a hand to his chin and thought, "You just keep overseeing the moon drip ceremony Zalty, I'll remain here in case those intruders have the audacity to strike again. My associates should be clearing them out as we speak." He clenched his fist, "As for Gray…he won't survive if we are to fight again. I'll let you know if there's a change in battle plans…"

He snickered, "Yes, Cold Emperor." He bowed and skittered off.

* * *

 **A/N:** Any thoughts? Opinions? Let me know with a review! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Here's chapter fourteen! Yes, I know Erza might seem a bit dramatic, but it's all intentional, I promise. :)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"Now then…" The Emerald Knight cracked his shoulders, "I think I'm beginning to learn how your magic works…"

"Oh, you think it's that easy?" She laughed, then held out her hands, "Alright, rock doll, let's change the game for him!"

A giant rock monster appeared from out of the ground next, with three simple holes for its eyes and mouth. It roared at the Emerald Knight and charged at him.

"What in damnation!" The Emerald Knight tried to jump back, as the rock doll punched the ground, still causing bits of earth to smack him and knock him back.

Sherry gave a demonic laugh as her mascara-stained cheeks raised with an evil grin, "Smash him to dust!"

The Emerald Knight sparked up his lance, charging at the beast, the electricity not having much of an effect on the rock monster. It growled and picked him up. The Emerald Knight thrashed about, trying to free himself, but he was unable to move in the monster's iron-grip. The rock doll threw him into a tree.

The Emerald Knight cried out as the entire tree shattered with the force of his landing. He got up slowly, his eyes homing in a Sherry. He ran at the girl, lightning whipping out of his lance like serpents.

The rock doll slid in the wall, holding out a single hand to block his lance.

Sherry gave a wicked sneer, "What, you think you can reach me? No, you'll never be able to _touch_ me!"

The Emerald Knight growled. She was right, as long as this thing was fighting him, he'd never be able to hit her, he put his lance away, his gauntlet glowing green, "Gauntlet Hammer!" He swung his fist into the rock monster, but it only knocked loose three or four rocks.

His eyes widened, he swallowed hard. That thing had to be made of hundreds of rocks, he would have to use that attack at least another dozen times to reduce it to rubble, and he didn't have the magic power for that.

The rock doll advanced to its foe, giving a big smack and sending him sailing. The Emerald Knight crashed into the ground not that far away.

Sherry snickered a bit, "My love, your fragile little façade of armor is bound to break if my doll keeps beating you around." She sat on a stone.

The rock doll advanced upon the Emerald Knight, but this time the knight raised his shield up high, blocking the punch. _How can I be so pathetic? Am I going to lose in my first bout of combat as a part of this larger team? No…there has to be something I can do? Swords of Retribution? Maybe…I would at least have to hit her with all twelve…but first to even use it I'd need this rock monstrosity away from me._ He did a somersault under the monsters legs, running back a bit to create some distance, "Swords of-

The monster reared back and punched him, knocking him over. It appears even though the monster was slow, his reach with much better due to his sheer size.

 _Damn it._ The Emerald Knight felt pain rack all over his body. Despite being fully armored, he'd been hit so many times his muscles were beginning to ache.

Sherry laughed, "This is so tragic! So lovely! So entertaining!"

Veins cropped up all over his forehead. He had one last trick. And there was a reason why he was saving it for last. It was ridiculously risky. Lancer Fader would cancel out her rock doll and nullify both their magic for five seconds. But that's all he had. Five seconds. If she feels her magic power return before he defeats her, her rock doll will just rise from the dead and it'll be over. He had five seconds to run up close to her and completely overtake her with close combat while neither of them had magic.

The Emerald Knight got up and shook himself off, fighting the rock doll and blocking his punches, but ever-so-closely, he would inch towards Sherry, his eyes darting back at her every so often. He needed to close as much distance as possible, as this surprise attack would only last a few moments.

Sherry yawned, "Rock doll, you can stop toying with him now. Pounding him to the ground would be appreciated."

The rock doll clasped both its hands together and reared them back, ready to turn the Emerald Knight into mush.

A green light brighter than before emitted from the Emerald Knight's lance. He turned to Sherry, performing an elaborate sword flourish, "Lance Fader!" A green wave whooshed out, the rock doll shook madly and eventually fell over. The Emerald Knight's lance also stopped crackling its familiar green lighting. The Emerald Knight gave a piercing yell and put his shield away, sprinting towards Sherry.

Sherry's eyes shrunk and she screamed, holding her hands out to use her marionette magic, but she was unable to. She was stabbed right in the chest, going right through his lance.

The Emerald Knight heard a choking noise, then the sound of something hitting his armor. He saw a bloodstain, it came from her mouth after she coughed it up.

He looked surprised, taking the lance out of her body and watching her fall to the ground. He was a little shell-shocked. He'd seen Natsu beat practically hundreds of people, always wittingly getting in the last word. Yet, here he stood, not having a thing to say. It was probably because she was a woman. He rarely fought women on the battlefield in his olden days, and his chivalrous nature just made this feel so wrong.

She slowly moved, giving him some form of reassurance that he at least hadn't killed her. She gasped for air, then screeched, "Angelica!"

Angelica flung herself in the air, still a bit charred, with green sparks coming off of her every so often. She was about ready to crush him.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard. This was it. He couldn't beat this rat, he was completely out of magic power.

Suddenly, he heard Angelica screech in agony as she was sliced open right across the chest and belly. He heard the familiar sound of armored feet landing in the sand, and the bright red hair.

The Emerald Knight screamed. He would much rather fight against the rat. Much, much rather fight against the rat.

"Ant." Erza said softly, "Tell me. Why do you think I am here?"

He shivered from head to toe, "I…can think of a few good reasons…"

"Ant! Yay! You're okay! You didn't die!" Happy flew over, then he saw Erza, promptly making a terrified expression and flying off.

Erza's gauntlet caught his tail like a snapping turtle, "Happy." She said, very seriously, "Where is Natsu?" She held him upside down, looking him dead in the eye.

"I haven't the slightest idea…it can be hard to track him down at times…" The Emerald Knight said.

"I didn't ask for an excuse. You will tell me where you last saw him, what he was doing, and where he was going, immediately, or there is no telling whether or not you will ever be able to return to Fairy Tail."

He went pale, "He was fighting some of the Cold Emperor's followers, like I was." He said, "He was in the village last, although, it's more of an acid wasteland by now…"

She cocked an eyebrow, then sighed, "This is why you dimwits should never have taken an S-Class quest…" She growled, then she snapped, her eyes opening wide as she screamed at him, "Do you realize how serious this is? Why there are differences between S-Class and regular quests now? Have you at least realized how stupid you are for listening to them?"

He closed his eyes. Their little training bouts in the canyon flashed into his mind, for some ironic reason, perhaps just to taunt him. After going through all these lengths to get a friend who he knew was so much like him, he ruined the opportunity in half the time he took to gain said opportunity. "I know…" He said.

She gave an irritated sigh, "Your actions won't go unpunished." She gave him a cold glare, "Take me to Natsu."

"What will you do when we find him?"

"Punishment is inevitable. I will bring you all back to the guild and you will be at the Master's mercy."

His eyes opened and hardened, "Now wait just a second, I think the punishment should wait until _after_ we save all these people. There's a demon encased in ice, and a ritual that's causing all of the villagers to suffer. And Gray…he…" He paused, not sure on whether it was okay to divulge Gray's personal matters.

"Ant." She said his name softly, before giving him a glare so harsh it grazed his core, "I'll say this once and once only. I don't give a damn. I will take you all back to the guild before you get yourselves killed. You betrayed the Master, for that, you will be punished." She drew a sword and pointed it at his face, "Any objections?" She narrowed her eyes.

He closed his eyes again, this time, he had no rebuttal.

* * *

"Damn it…I had such a good idea, but then I went and overslept…not cool…" Natsu rubbed his forehead and kept walking. He eventually made it to the temple he and the others stumbled upon a night or two ago, "Now, let's put this plan into motion." He grinned.

* * *

Gray woke up, covered in a lot of bandages. He looked around, seeing that he was in a tool shed, "Where am I?" He got up and looked around outside, seeing a place that sort of resembled the village, but it wasn't the exact same place.

"You're awake." A villager walked over to him, "You must be a bit confused. We lost our village yesterday, so we moved out here. Originally, this is where we kept all our supplies."

"You…lost your village…?" Gray asked, remembering that Lyon gave the order to wipe out the villagers.

"But thanks to Natsu and that Emerald Knight, all the villagers were spared."

"Are those guys here now?"

"Yes. They're in that tent over there." The villager pointed.

Gray walked in the tent, seeing Erza sitting in the middle of the room, "Erza?" He gasped, then he saw Happy and the Emerald Knight tied up on the side, "Happy? Ant?"

"This is barbaric…" The Emerald Knight muttered, "I shall bite through this rope if I have to!"

"Reel it in, there, Ant…" Happy sighed.

"I've learned the backbone of this little story from Ant." Erza crossed her legs and looked up at Gray expectantly, "I might be mistaken." She gave a dry laugh, "Perhaps I've…lost my mind and it's all a dream!" She smiled, then it faded in a heartbeat, "But wasn't it _your_ job to bring them back, Gray?"

"Where's Natsu?" Gray asked, he seemed to be on a completely different plane of thought at the moment.

She was silent, then she said, "Do you honestly think if I knew the answer to that question, I would have these two tied up in a tent?"

Gray looked at the Emerald Knight, "Ant, where's Natsu?"

"I haven't the slightest idea." The Emerald Knight said, "When they attacked the village, we split up. I fought Sherry, while Natsu took on Yuka and Toby. But when we returned, all I saw were Yuka and Toby's unconscious bodies. He must've defeated them and ran off…"

Gray sighed and crossed his arms, "I'm surprised you guys even found this place…"

Erza sighed, "So in other words, Natsu is wandering around like the idiot he is, lost out of his mind. Nothing unusual there, I suppose." She stood up, "Gray. You will stay here with these two while I find Natsu, then I'm taking you all back to the guild. The Master will deal with you from there."

"Are you out of your mind?" Gray asked, "If you learned the story from Ant, no, if you were actually _listening_ , then you know how much danger these people face!"

She seemed even more peeved, "I did listen. I _always_ listen, Gray. Unlike you, unlike Happy, unlike Ant, and especially unlike Natsu. Not only did I give you orders multiple times, and you disobeyed me, but you broke guild rules. That is something unforgivable. I'm disappointed in you. It's one thing for Ant to break the rules, but you've been a part of this guild since you were a child. Doing something as reckless as this goes without saying that you will face consequences. And they will be harsh."

"You intend to leave the people on this island like this?" He frowned.

"Yes." She said, "This is a job for an S-Class wizard. Being here, acting like fools and trying to take a position that you can't is only putting their lives in more danger. I thought you out of all people would know that."

He paused, choosing his next set of words very carefully. Erza perhaps thought that he was going to attempt to make amends, so it naturally surprised her when the next thing he said was, "I really thought you were better than that, Erza."

Happy gasped, "Gray, you can't talk to the great lady Erza like that!"

"Reel it in, Happy…" The Emerald Knight sighed.

Erza's eye twitched, "What?" She spat.

The Emerald Knight looked away, this was starting to bring back too many painful memories of his times in the sacred, secretive order of Fiore.

Upon Gray's silence, Erza got furious. She drew her sword and took a step forward, Gray had to step back to avoid being sliced in the throat, "Anything you say to me has no merit." She spat, "Not anymore. If you want to break these guild rules, then you're hardly a guild mate in the first place. You will listen to your superiors and obey, or I won't hesitate to stop you myself."

Gray caught her sword, a bit of blood trickling from his hand as he did so, "You do what you need to. I intend to save these people and see this through to the end. I can't walk away from something I know is the right thing to do. If you feel compelled to stab me for that, then stab away!" He challenged, he moved her blade aside and he left the tent.

Happy and the Emerald Knight felt a chill, they exchanged a glance.

"Don't listen to him Erza!" Happy quivered, "He's just mad because something happened to him and all! It's just crazy talk!"

The Emerald Knight was much quieter. There was a defiance in his eyes. Even though he had already put an end to Sherry for now, he wished he could do something more to help Gray.

A wave of magic power surged from her, then she turned around and faced Happy and the Emerald Knight with her blade, her eyes small and merciless.

Happy screamed and hugged the Emerald Knight, "Ant, I don't wanna die!" He cried.

She threw her sword across the room with a scream, it was far from the fierce warrior scream she always gave, and more reminiscent of an angry teenage girl. Her sword went right through a bag of rice and outside the tent, rice poured out onto the floor. She then turned and kicked a crate over, reducing it to splinters. Thankfully, the crate was empty. Afterwards, she ran and hand through her hair and gave a shaky sigh. "I suppose we have no choice."

Happy and the Emerald Knight exchanged another terrified glance, cowering in fear.

She materialized a dark dagger and walked over towards the Emerald Knight, towering over him.

The Emerald Knight closed his eyes and looked away, while Happy bit back tears.

He heard a slicing sound, then a thud. He looked down and saw she cut off his ropes. It was easy since he had the armor. She was more careful with Happy, gently grabbing him from behind and slicing the ropes.

Now Happy and the Emerald Knight looked at her like two deer frozen in headlights.

She dematerialized the dagger, something about her face reminded the Emerald Knight of the day he asked her where she learned her magic. She turned around and left the tent without a word.

Happy looked hopelessly confused, trying to brush his tears away, "Come on." The Emerald Knight helped him stand, "Let's continue helping Gray. I assume she'll punish us once this mess is over."

* * *

"Such a disgrace…" Lyon sat in the center of the highest room of the temple, almost like a throne, "You're the only one left?"

Toby gave a yip and nodded.

"Those Fairy Tail wizards aren't half bad…"

"Could you keep the fact that I defeated myself between you and me?" Toby asked.

"No."

"This puts Deliora's revival in jeopardy." Zalty's voice rang out as he hobbled in.

"Zalty." Lyon nodded, "How is the ceremony going?"

"If we stay productive, this evening we will be able to filter in all the moon drip onto Deliora and revive him. However, if there is any source of interference, then he will remain inside that ice."

"Damn it all. I should've just done all the fighting myself from the beginning." Lyon fumed.

Toby wilted in shame.

"Well, it seems the Salamander from Fairy Tail seems to be one of our prime targets." Zalty said.

"As always, you seem to be well-informed of our enemy." Lyon smiled, "But I do not fear him. No, not the slightest. Even Ur would be jealous of my power now. Fire wizards cannot stand against it."

Zalty gave a low chuckle, "Well then, perhaps I can join the fray as well."

"Wait a second, this old guy can fight too?" Toby asked.

"Yes, I happen to know a bit of lost magic." He snickered.

"Hmm…lost magic, huh?"

There was a pause. The temple began to shake erratically, and crumble apart.

"An earthquake?" Toby panicked.

"What the hell is going on?" Lyon growled.

"The ruins are falling apart!"

"No…" Lyon gripped his throne and winced, "They're being tilted!"

Zalty snickered, keeping his balance, "….so he has made the first move…."

Toby looked down a hole at one of the lower temple levels, "Ah! It's him!" He gasped.

"Who…who is 'him'?" Lyon walked over to the hole with the other two.

"Jeez…I usually bust stuff up all the time without even thinking about it…" Natsu cracked his neck, "But when I _try_ to break stuff, it's really hard…"

"Cretin! What is the meaning of this?" Lyon glared at him.

"Well now this whole building's tilted." Natsu said, as flames billowed in his hands, "So the moonlight won't get down to that demon of yours."

"How dare you!" He snapped.

"Okay…I'm completely confused…" Toby said.

"Seems this little salamander was smarter than I had assumed." Zalty mused before elaborating, "He must have destroyed a half of the support columns underneath this tower, thus knocking the entire temple out of balance. Now the moon beam cannot reach Deliora."

"Alright, now let's do this." Flames wrapped around Natsu's feet and he rocketed up in the air.

"Flames on his feet?" Lyon asked, bewildered.

Toby yipped and nodded, "He can shoot flames from any part of his body!"

Natsu flew up and punched both Lyon and Toby, knocking them in the air quite a distance. Toby's body flew back and hit the wall, while Lyon's body completely dissolved into ice crystals. It turned out to be a fake.

"Over here!" The real Lyon said as he blasted out icy eagles at Natsu, "You can't dodge in midair!"

Natsu abruptly stopped his flaming feet to land on the ground, "Looks like I can." He smirked. He walked forward on his hands a bit and he swatted at Lyon with his flaming feet, "Fire Dragon's Talon!"

Lyon jumped back, "I won't fall for that!"

"Good. Now let's see _your_ midair game." He puffed his cheeks out, "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

Zalty gave a short chuckle, holding a hand out. A hole in the ground swallowed Natsu up before his Roar could reach Lyon. Natsu yelled out as he fell.

Lyon looked at the hole with overflowing confusion.

"Can we keep the fact that I completely failed to dodge his punch a secret?" The charred Toby asked.

"No."

"Quite the bout of luck you've run into, Cold Emperor." Zalty said amusedly.

"What did you do, Zalty?" Lyon asked.

"'Do'? I didn't 'do' anything." He snickered, "I simply cannot having you dying before Deliora is revived, that's all."

"Don't try and play me for a fool." Lyon said, "The ground dissolving…that was your magic…besides…" He took a deep breath, the entire interior of the temple began to freeze up, "You really think that pathetic flame could defeat me? I am Cold Emperor Lyon. The only wizard in existence who has the ability to defeat Deliora! It would bring shame upon my name if I couldn't beat that brat!" His bloodshot eyes widened, "Both of you, tend to the ceremony, I'll defeat anyone who enters my presence."

"Of course, Cold Emperor." Zalty said as he skittered off with Toby.

"Defeat Deliora?" Natsu climbed up from the rubble, facing Lyon, "He's half-dead already, why the hell are you going through all that trouble just to unfreeze him?"

"It is so I can surpass Ur." Lyon said, as he fired off icy eagles at Natsu, "So my dream can finally be fulfilled!"

Natsu dodged as many as he could, "If you want that, then why don't you just challenge Ur directly?"

"Fool! Do you know nothing! Ur has been dead for years!"

Natsu froze in place, "Ah…I see…I guess when she cast that Iced Shell…she lost her life in the process…I had no idea…"

"It was all Gray's fault!" He fired off more icy eagles.

Natsu grimaced as he was smashed by a few of the eagles in his arms as he raised them to block the hits, a bit of bloody scars cropping up on them here and there. "Look pal, I have no idea what went on in your past. But I know you're hurting a lot of people in the present. I'm going to wake you up!" He roared as his fists burned with flames, "A nice, good, smacking should do the trick!"

* * *

"Since the two of us were kids, Lyon's biggest life goal was to surpass Ur." Gray said, he, the Emerald Knight, Erza, and Happy, were running (flying in Happy's case) towards the temple, "So since Ur isn't around anymore…he thought he could defeat Deliora…the one monster that she couldn't beat."

"I see…" The Emerald Knight said, "In a twisted sort of way…I at least see _why_ he's doing it…"

"Aye…" Happy said.

"But there's something he doesn't know!" Gray said as he kept leading the pack.

"Oh?" The Emerald Knight cocked an eyebrow, "And what is that?"

"I mean…Ur's no longer with us…but…" He looked ahead, "Ur is still alive."

* * *

 **A/N:** So? How was that? Let me know with a review! Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Here's chapter fifteen! (wait since when did I write fifteen chapters?) I hope you like it! :)

* * *

"Ur is still alive?" The Emerald Knight asked. He was hopelessly confused at this point. He heard both Gray and Lyon said that Ur was dead.

"You're kidding." Happy said.

Erza's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "She's alive?" She sighed in thought, "You might as well tell us everything you can about you three. Master and apprentices. It would clear up a lot of confusion."

"It was ten years ago…" Gray sighed, "Deliora attacked my home town…it took the damn thing less than a day to destroy everything…"

* * *

"Deliora destroyed this place…" Ur gave a sigh. She had short dark hair, a black crop top and black jeans, with a white jacket on as well. "The rumors don't even sum up to this amount of destruction…." She had one student with her, a young boy with white hair, who looked around eight years old. Under some nearby wreckage there was someone who still seemed to be breathing.

Ur gasped, taking steps forward, "Lyon….Lyon! There's a survivor! Come here!" She ran over.

Lyon looked back and ran over to his master, trying to gently pull the other boy out the rubble, "Are you okay?" He asked.

The other seemed fine for the most part once he was freed. But his face told another story. It was twisted with rage. "Deliora…I won't rest until you pay…until you pay for what you've done!"

* * *

"Alright, today we'll start with basics." Ur said, "Gray, do you think you'll be able to keep up? I have a very strict routine."

Gray looked around, he and Lyon were standing opposite of Ur like privates ready for a training regimen from their commanding officer. In the middle of a blizzard no less. It was sort of implied that it was going to be strict, "Yeah, I'll be fine." Gray said, "If get enough power to kill Deliora, I'll do anything."

"Alright." Ur said, taking off her pants and shirt, Lyon doing the same. She looked at Gray, "You too, Gray."

"You want me to strip on top of a snowy mountain! Are you nuts?" Gray blushed.

"In order to use the ice you must become one with it. Do you see me shivering?" She smiled, "Eventually, your body will completely adapt to the cold."

"Damn it…" Gray shuddered like mad in the cold.

"You'll get used to it in time." Lyon smiled, "I remember when I was like you."

"…you're still shivering…"

"Follow me. Let's run!" Ur said as they started sprinting.

"What? Come on! I wanna learn magic!" Gray complained.

"Just run for pity's sake!" Lyon snapped, "You think I want to do this beginner's stuff again?"

"Listen." Ur said, "Out of every type of magic, maker magic gives the user the most freedom. Each maker has their own unique twist on how they use their magic. It allows the most individuality. So if you put in the work and effort, and strive to be the best you can, you'll find your own form."

* * *

"Hey, I noticed you got a new disciple." A shopkeeper said as she handed Ur her purchases, "He's real cute."

"Gray? Yeah, real cute. Pain in the ass, never listens to anything I say." She said as she bit down on an apple, an affectionate tone to her voice.

"They both look like they'll turn into real lookers when they get older." The shopkeeper said, "Do you think you can save one of them for me?"

"Take 'em." She muttered, "They make too much noise for me." She reached in jacket for some money.

"I'm just…not sure if you'll attract any men your own age if they think you've got two kids…"

"Think I give a damn?" She muttered, waving a hand as she handed her money, "Thanks for the food."

Gray and Lyon were meanwhile sitting on short brick wall, waiting for Ur to be finished with her purchase, "Gray, how long do you think it'll take us to beat Master Ur…?" Lyon asked.

"I don't care…" Gray muttered.

"But Master Ur is amazing. One day, I'll surpass her!"

"I just said I don't care…you're always 'master this' or 'master that'…I'm just here to kill Deliora." He said, "Once I do that, I can finally say goodbye to the stupid witch…"

"Who are you calling a witch?" Ur hit him upside the head, "C'mon kid, I'm not that nasty, am I?" She looked at Lyon.

Lyon smiled, "Of course not Master Ur."

Gray sighed, following the two of them down the street, "When are you gonna start teaching us powerful magic?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" She asked, "I'm already teaching you."

"What's so powerful about that icy crap? That won't help me at all!"

She looked a bit irritated, "Gray, as I've told you before, maker magic give the user more freedom than any other kind of magic. Once you find your form, your power will only grow." She said, then her eye twitched, "And please answer me this, why are you stripping in public?"

Gray growled in embarrassment as he saw all of his clothes on the ground, "Now I have this weird habit cause of you!"

"Did you hear about Deliora?" A civilian asked from far away.

"They say he's in the northern continent." Another man said. Gray's ears perked up to hear their conversation, "Somewhere in Brago."

"Hmm…maybe finally Isvan will know peace…"

* * *

Ur's house was surrounded by a howling blizzard, but that didn't seem to deter Gray, he was about to leave with everything he ever owned.

"No! There is no way you can beat Deliora! You don't stand a chance, Gray!" Ur shouted.

"You guys would never understand!" Gray argued, he turned around, so much pain on his face, "That demon killed my mom and dad! I need to get revenge for them!"

"Gray, if you leave, I will stop teaching you." She said firmly, trying anything to keep him there.

"Pfft, sounds like a good deal to me." He opened the door, the howling blizzard only getting louder.

"Gray!" She cried out, a burning feeling in her chest as she watched him run off through the blizzard.

Gray looked back, "If I die, it's your fault for teaching me stupid magic!"

* * *

The Emerald Knight cocked his head a bit, seeing the ruins leaning quite awkwardly, "You all see that too, right?"

Happy looked puzzled, "What happened?"

"It has to be Natsu." Gray crossed his arms, "Destruction on that scale could only be done by him. Whether he planned it or not, it's good on him. Now the moonlight can't hit Deliora."

"Silence." Erza hissed. They predicted another lecture, but then she drew two swords, "Someone's coming."

"It's Fairy Tail!" The cultists emerged from the shrubs, "Stop them! They must not disrupt the ceremony!"

"Ah!" Happy screamed and backed away.

The Emerald Knight frowned, "It's the cultists that run the moon drip ceremony."

Erza's eyes darted around, "I'll take them all." She said.

"Erza…" Gray started.

"Go take care of Lyon."

Gray nodded, sprinting off.

Happy and the Emerald Knight stayed behind, the Emerald Knight drawing his lance and shield, "Let me help you."

Erza looked over at him, and for the first time since she arrived on the island, she gave a small smile, "Yes, of course. Thank you Ant."

Gray ran as fast as he could. _He doesn't know that Ur is still alive! I'm the only one who can stop him!_

* * *

Gray was transported back into his memoires for the time being, Deliora knocked out Gray in mere seconds, Ur and Lyon arrived to provide backup, but Lyon was knocked unconscious as well. Ur and Deliora stood face to face, the demon had already slaughtered everything else.

"I have no clue what to do….." Ur panted, "I…didn't think you…could be this strong…"

Deliora roared, blasting a hyper beam at her, it missed Ur, but it destroyed even more of the rubble-town.

Gray got up and screamed, going in and trying to attack Deliora once again.

"Gray!" Ur called, grabbing him and hugging him, "Just…just relax…you're alright now…"

"Ur…" He stammered, "W-W-Why…?"

"Listen to me, it's very important." She held his shoulders, "Take Lyon and run. I can't watch you two and defeat him at the same time."

"Lyon…?" He asked blankly.

"He's out cold now but-

Deliora roared and fired off another blast, it would've killed them immediately if Ur hadn't dodged out of the way.

"Just hurry up and run! I'll take care of Deliora!"

"W-Why…did you come…a-after I said all those things…?"

She smiled at him, "A little while ago…a friend told me to think of my own happiness…which was strange, because I never thought of myself as unhappy. How could I be, when I have two of the best apprentices on the planet? I've got to watch them grow in their own way every day…" She beamed, "I'd call that happiness! So I came here to get it back." She said.

"U-Ur…no…" He teared up, "Your leg…"

"What about it?" She asked, "Maker magic is pretty helpful, huh?" From her knee down on her right leg, it was an icy peg, acting as a foot and leg for her. She smiled, "Gray, if that monster is the thing that's been weighing you down, then I think there's a damn good reason to fight it."

"But…but it's my fault…that all of this happened…"

"It's nobody's fault, Gray. This is just a bump in the road on the path to happiness."

"Ur…" Lyon woke up slowly, getting away from Gray's grasp, "You're going to beat that thing…right?"

Ur's eyes widened, "Lyon…" She said softly.

"You're the strongest wizard ever." His eyes shrunk and his grin grew, "You should have no problem beating that demon. It's not possible for you to lose…"

"Look…" She sighed, "I'm not the most powerful being alive." She gave a nervous laugh, "There's always someone more powerful." She stated a bit more firmly.

"No there aren't. You're the best."

"There are hundreds of wizards to the west that are stronger than I am…once you surpass me, you'll have to aim to surpass them, right?"

"I only became your disciple because I thought you were the best." He teared up, still with that twisted grin, "If you're not…then…then why have I been training with you? You can't let that monster beat you…don't betray me…"

She gave a defeated sigh, "Lyon…"

"If you don't intend to give it your all…" Lyon held both his arms out and crossed them, "Then I will!"

"That position….stop! You can't do that, where did you even learn that?"

"Since you take so long to teach us any of the powerful magic, I read all of your magic books in your storehouse!" Lyon said, "I found this incredible spell that you've been hiding from us, Iced Shell!"

"Iced Shell?" Gray asked.

"You didn't read that all the way through, did you, Lyon!? When the user completes that spell, they-

A large icy burst came off of Lyon, causing Ur and Gray to fly back a bit.

"Magic can't affect Deliora directly, so I'll have to freeze it in place." Lyon said.

"I won't allow it!" Ur said loudly, freezing Lyon solid. She panted a bit afterwards, gaining her bearings.

"Ur, you froze him!" Gray said.

"He'll be fine, Gray…when a wizard uses Iced Shell…the body of that wizard is destroyed. But he was right…that's the only way to defeat Deliora…I didn't think he would actually think of the same plan I had." She chuckled, "I guess that's an apprentice for you." She said quietly, then she started running, "Gray, stay back!" She stood across from Deliora and made the Iced Shell position.

"Ur!" Gray yelled, as Deliora roared at her.

"I will not let you anywhere near my pupils!" Ur shrieked. "Iced Shell!"

"Ur!" Gray screamed over the raging winds of the Iced Shell, watching his masters body chip away and break apart slowly, "Your…your body…!"

"I told you, this magic turns flesh into ice! Forever!" She turned to him, her face diluted, "Gray, do me a favor. Tell Lyon that I died."

"What?"

"You know him! If he knew my body was ice, he'd spend his entire life trying to melt it!"

"No…p-please…"

"And if he melts it," She continued, "Then what I'm doing now? It would be pointless!"

"No, stop!" He started crying.

"I want Lyon to see as much of the world as he can in peace and happiness." She smiled, "And I want you to go with him too."

"Please, don't do this anymore!" He sobbed, "If you stop, I promise I'll do whatever you say from now on!"

"There's nothing to be upset about, Gray." She smiled sweetly, "I'm alive! I'll just be ice! Ice lives on forever!" She gave one final smile to her apprentice, the one who had been so stubborn to her, the one who doubted her and questioned her the most. "Go forward…and live on, Gray!"

Ur's body broke apart into ice, attaching itself to Deliora and freezing the demon solid. Gray sat there and cried, watching Ur disappear, he cried like that for quite a while.

Lyon woke up after a long while, being hopelessly confused by his surroundings, "What? Deliora….is…" He saw the huge demon encased in a shell of ice, "Where's Ur?" He barked, "What happened to Ur?"

Gray did everything he could not to outright bawl, "She…she'd dead…"

Lyon's eyes shrunk, "You're lying…" He then screamed it again, "You're lying!"

Gray couldn't bite it back anymore, he started crying again.

Lyon grabbed his shoulders, "What happens now, huh? My dream is gone! How will I surpass Ur?"

"I'm sorry…" Gray sniffed.

"Damn it…damn it!" He raged, tears welling up in his eyes too, "If it wasn't for you…if you hadn't challenged Deliora! Ur would still be alive! It's all your fault Gray! You murdered Ur!"

* * *

Gray broke through the ice room that Lyon had created, interrupting Natsu and Lyon's duel, "Natsu…" Gray started, "I need to be the one to take him on."

"Pfft, you kidding me? You already lost!" Natsu said.

"There won't be another attempt after this." He said, "This is our final battle."

Lyon cocked an eyebrow at him, his childhood peer was still badly bandaged up, "You seem awfully confident…given the circumstances…"

"Ten years ago…you said it was my fault that Ur died…" Gray said, "And you're completely right. It's time I stop running away from that and accept the sins I've committed. But you're no better." He frowned, "You put all your followers in danger, you ordered the villagers to be slaughtered off, and you're trying to melt the ice around a demon! I won't stand for it any longer! I will be the one to stop you!" Gray crossed both his arms over one another, with his hands out and his palms facing down, "We'll face our punishment together, you and I, Lyon!"

"That stance!" Lyon looked horrified, while Natsu simply looked confused, "Iced Shell?"

"Iced Shell?" Natsu repeated, starting to catch on, he knew the gist of what that spell did because of what Gray told him.

"Have you gone insane Gray? This desperate move will only buy time!" Lyon said.

"Turn everyone in the village back to their original forms. And get you and your buddies the hell off this island." Gray said, "This is your last chance! Or else we'll both go down!"

"How pitiful…trying to threaten me with Iced Shell…" He shook his head.

An obscene amount of ice magic energy flowed from Gray as he glowed in a light blue light and the room and air got even more frigid than before, "Oh, I'm serious…"

Lyon frowned, trying to get close to cancel it out, but it was futile, "You don't have the courage Gray! It's all a bluff! You don't have the courage to take me down!"

"It's time I take responsibility for what I did to Ur. No matter how much time passes, she won't come back! So I'm ready to die here, but you can bet that I'm gonna take you with me!"

"You can't be serious!" Lyon screamed over the whirling icy winds.

"Answer me Lyon!" Gray shouted back, "Are we gonna die here? Or are we gonna live?"

"Go ahead!" Lyon held a taunting hand out with a wicked smirk, "I still don't believe you! Go ahead! I've called your bluff, now why don't you finish me off!"

"That's a shame…" Gray narrowed his eyes, his icy aura growing.

"Don't do it!" Natsu yelled.

 _I'm sorry guys…I wish I could stay in Fairy Tail for much longer, but it looks like my journey ends here._ "Say, goodbye Lyon!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Aren't cliffhangers great? You never know when I'm gonna tweak the plot a bit from the original story…Hope you liked it! ;)


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Here's chapter sixteen! The heated battle (or I should really say, icy battle) between Gray and Lyon! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"It ends here Lyon!" Gray growled, "Iced Shell-

"You idiot!" Natsu punched him in the face, cancelling out the attack.

Lyon looked shocked.

"Natsu…" Gray snapped.

"You bust into my fight uninvited, spout crap about taking responsibility for something or other…just, don't go stealing my fight from me! _I'm_ going to be the one to take him down!"

"What? I said that you had to step aside and let me finish him!"

"And when exactly did I say, 'sure Gray, go ahead, anything for you!'"

Gray clenched his fists, "Your jerk…"

"What's that? You wanna fight me, or him?"

Gray grabbed his scarf, "I have to have my final battle with him! I'm ready to die if necessary!"

Natsu frowned and grabbed his arm, "Since when the hell does killing yourself mean finishing a battle? Huh? Because that sounds a lot like running away to me!"

Gray paused, he was moved by Natsu's words, yes, but before he had time to respond or digest them, the temple shook erratically.

"Damn it, what the hell is going on?" Natsu looked around.

"No…you're kidding…" Gray pieced it together, "The ruins…they used to be tilted…but now it's back to normal…"

"What? After I went through all the trouble to break it!" Natsu stomped his foot on the cold icy floor.

"T-This means that the moonlight will hit Deliora again…" Gray swallowed hard.

"Pardon my interference." Zalty hobbled in, "But evening is almost upon us. It was about time for the ruins to return to their previous state."

"Zalty, that was you?" Lyon asked.

"Who the heck is this guy?" Gray wondered to himself.

"Damn you…" Natsu growled, "How the hell did you get it back to normal?"

He gave a loud and condescending laugh.

"How did you get it back to normal?" He asked louder.

"Now, it's time for the ceremony to commence." He said as he dashed off.

"He ignored me…" Natsu said quietly, then he screamed, "Get back here you creepy little demon man! Get back here!" He started running after him, Zalty laughed as he was being chased.

"Natsu!" Gray said.

Natsu turned back, "I'm gonna turn this tiny sack of crap into a pile of ashes…..you take care of things here!"

Gray gave a nod, looking at Lyon in the corner of his eye.

"You lost last time, and that was a disgrace!" Natsu said as he ran off.

"Yeah, I know, not just to me, but to Fairy Tail."

"Well then, you certainly make a lot of noise." Lyon remarked, "I sure hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Just then, when I was about to use Iced Shell…" Gray started, "Did you count on Natsu butting in?"

"No. The opposite, in fact. I never thought he'd be foolish enough to interfere with magic so powerful and feared."

"So you were prepared to be hit by the attack?"

"Indeed." Lyon said, "But I would have been just fine after your attack. It would all be a waste."

"…I figured that…"

"Being encased in ice would be burdensome, not an ideal situation, but I still have my allies. Especially given the fact that we're still on the island that's renowned for its moonlight."

"I didn't even think of that…" Gray sighed, "It would cancel out any benefit of Iced Shell…"

He gave a short chuckle, "So, are you still ready for your final battle? You know you can't win-

"Just drop it."

"What?" His face stiffened and his veins were more pronounced.

"Just give up on Deliora."

"What nonsense is this? First, a threat, and now, a lecture? Does your guild have a dentist who removes all the fangs from your wizards?"

"Listen carefully, Lyon. Ur is still alive." Gray said, "Iced Shell is a magic that turns its caster into ice. The ice that sealed Deliora back then…and the ice that you're trying to melt now…it _is_ Ur. Ur is the ice. Sorry to have lied to you about it all this time. It was a promise I made to Ur…"

"Gray…"

"Lyon…that's why you have to give up on-

He coughed and choked out a lot of blood, as Lyon stabbed through him with an icy sword, "I knew that already." Lyon said with a twisted grin, "Every pathetic fact! But that ice has long ceased to be Ur! Now it's just frozen waste water…"

Gray slammed onto the ground, twitching a bit, "You…you knew…all along…"

"I cannot believe you would use such reasoning to stop me!" Lyon shouted, his eyes getting crazier by the minute, "You really need to grow up Gray!"

Gray gave a savage growl, "You…you knew…all along…and…and you s-still…"

* * *

"Stop right there!" Natsu snapped, "Little demon man…"

He kept laughing, Natsu was really doing a good job of cracking him up.

"How did you get this place back to normal!" He screamed for the umpteenth time.

Zalty turned suddenly and held a hand up, part of the ceiling caved in over Natsu's head.

"Pfft, you think that'll work against me?" Natsu punched the rock fragment with a flaming fist.

He waved his hand, the stones flew back into their place.

Natsu watched with awe as the rock fragments went back together again, as if someone hit rewind on the VCR. "What…?"

Zalty snickered, "This is how I restored the temple. Are you satisfied with that answer?"

"What kind of magic is that?"

"It's one of the many lost magics. Magic so powerful they were sealed away over time and lost into history!"

"Lost into history…?" He repeated slowly.

"Yes, and that dragon slayer magic of yours is really no different." He said, before disappearing.

"He vanished!" Natsu's jaw dropped, "Where the hell did he go off to, damn it!"

* * *

Gray lunged up from the ground and punched Lyon in the face, with such force that he flew back and hit the wall.

"What?" Lyon glared at him, "How can you even move with that wound?" He snapped.

"That's my limit…" Gray said, spitting blood to the side every so often.

"What?"

"I was hoping to save your life…to help you see the light…but…I've reached my limit with you!" Gray materialized a large ice bow, firing off arrows, the crashed into Lyon. Lyon cried out on the ground, screaming for quite a while, Gray kicked him towards the wall, Lyon yelled out and coughed up blood.

Lyon staggered back to his feet, just as bloody as Gray now, "He…he can't do this to me…I can't let somebody as lowly as Gray…make me bleed…I can't let that happen!" He shrieked. "Ice-Make…Snow Dragon!" A large icy serpent appeared and chomped its icy fangs onto Gray. Gray grit his teeth as the monster bit into his wounds further. Gray crashed into the ground when the attack was over, moaning in pain.

"I…I wish you would stop making me…waste my magic power…for no good reason…" Lyon cackled, the blood on his face didn't help with his rapidly losing composure and sanity, "I need to save my strength, for the battle with Deliora…"

"You think I'd let that happen…?" Gray asked from the ground.

"Flounder around all you like! Deliora will be revived!"

"It…it will be stopped…"

"How? While you're there, groveling on the ground…" Lyon tossed his cape aside, "Zalty is completing the moon drip ceremony!"

"But Natsu's after him." Gray smirked, "Trust me, the second you underestimate that guy, you know you're in for a world of hurt."

* * *

Zalty snickered a bit as he watched the frozen Deliora. He caught his reflection in the ice, then stepped back, "Well, I suppose it's time to-

"Found you!" Natsu flew in like a blazing comet, "Let's get things heated up now!"

"Ha, ha!" Zalty jumped back out of the way, "Provocative fighting words, Salamander!" He skidded back in the cave floor. "So tell me, how did you find me here?"

"I've got a pretty good nose, I followed your scent." He said, "For some reason, you smell like women's perfume…"

He gave a deep chuckle, "Apologies, but I'm on the path to revive Deliora, and I would appreciate it if you would stay out of my way."

"Pfft, don't even waste your time pal. You don't have a chance."

"Is that so?"

He smiled, "Because Gray's beating the crap outta Lyon. And I'll beat you too, easily. And that'll end it."

"Hmm…" He pondered his words, looking up over Natsu's head, "I wouldn't be so sure of that." A large purple beam poured out from the ceiling, melting the ice around Deliora.

"Light?" Natsu shrieked, "Someone's performing the ceremony above? I thought we knocked everyone out!"

"Yes…while the amount might be reduced since there is only one person preforming the ceremony, we've already gathered more than enough, so all that's been needed was the application…"

"Crap…Deliora's ice is melting…" Natsu started to run off, "Damn it, I gotta do something about the guy on the roof!"

Zalty held a hand out, the surface under Natsu's feet crumbled away. Zalty jumped down to his level, "Oh? Now _you're_ running off?" He gave a loud laugh, "Sorry Salamander, I cannot allow that!"

"Damn it…" Natsu brushed himself off, cloaking one of his fists in flames and running at Zalty.

"A bit foolish to use fire magic at a time like this, no?" He chuckled, as he dodged, "Seeing how the heat from that magic is only making the ice melt faster."  
Natsu kept running at him, "If fire could melt the ice, I don't think you'd be going through all this trouble right now."

He laughed, "I must say, I'm surprised by how strong your mental capacity really is! I was beginning to think it was all hot air!"

"I'll just have to take you down first, then beat up the guy on the roof."

* * *

"The ruins are shaking again…" Gray looked around.

"So the moon drip ceremony is underway." Lyon said, "Deliora will be melted tonight!"

"No…that means…Ur…" He said quietly to himself.

"Well, it looks like our little game is over." Lyon held a hand out, "You weren't able to stop it in time…" An icy mist came off of him, "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this! For nearly a decade, I've been researching…building me knowledge! Then I discovered this island! Galuna! The island that gathers moonlight!"

He shot out his icy eagles and they pelted Gray, knocking him back.

"We brought Deliora here all the way from Brago! That was three years ago!"

"You spent three years on a stupid plan like this?" Gray asked.

"How dare you!" Lyon snapped, "You've wasted ten years playing mage in a stupid guild!"

"I actually followed Ur's advice!"

Lyon froze in his tracks, about to attack again, but curiosity stopped him.

"She told us to go west and see all the powerful wizards there." Gray panted, his entire lower-abdomen covered in blood, "And there _are_ loads of great wizards there. I could hardly believe it."

He remembered his first trip to Fairy Tail, asking Master Makarov how to undo the Iced Shell:

" _I'd say it's impossible. Iced Shell's strength is the will of the wizard who cast it. No third party can interfere with it. Well…there may be one way. But it's forbidden! Besides, melting that ice would be the same as killing this Master Ur."_

"Now that I think about it, the old man was probably talking about moon drip." Gray said, "And to think that Ur's own disciple is working to murder her!" He spat, "You're a poor excuse for a human being!"

"Say whatever you'd like. I've been living for this day." Lyon said, "How can a student surpass his master after said master is dead!" He materialized a load of jagged ice on his fist, "Though Deliora!" He ran at Gray and tried to end him in one punch, "If I can bury Deliora, the only one able to defeat our master, then I can surpass Ur!"

"That's great and all…" Gray said as he dodged, "But I can't help but think that you lost some critical moral values along the way!" He growled and materialized an icy sword, "You think an idiot like whose blind to reality can surpass Ur! Because I think you'll need at least another hundred years! Maybe try to learn something in those years!" He slashed Lyon's body cleanly in half.

But it turns out, that it was an ice decoy, the real Lyon was behind him, "Ice-Make…Snow Tiger!" He large icy tiger roared at Gray and ran at him.

"Ice-Make…Prison!" Gray jumped up and trapped the beast in a cage, "This is what you look like, Lyon!" Gray said, as the tiger helplessly tried to get itself out, "A wild animal trapped in a cage that knows nothing of the real world!"

"Don't make me laugh!" Lyon snapped, "I can undo your little cage in mere seconds!"

A small smile appeared on Gray's face as he watched Lyon fumble around with one hand trying to undo the spell, "Single-handed spell-casting has poor balance. Your creations will let you down when you need them most." He materialized a giant icy bazooka, "Ice Cannon!" He fired at Lyon.

Lyon let out a piercing scream as blood splattered out everywhere, he fell back and smashed the wall open.

"Ur taught us that, remember?"

Lyon tried to get up, but it was hopeless, "Gray…." He choked out, fainting.

Gray took a deep sigh, then he flinched, "Ow, damn it…should've sealed this wound up earlier!" He cast a bit of ice on the wound in his torso.

* * *

The Emerald Knight panted, there were more cultists than he remembered. He was fighting back-to-back with Erza, while Happy flew around and occasionally gave some words of encouragement.

"Emerald Hawk!" The Emerald Knight shot out his green lightning hawk. The bird cawed and took out five cultists as it flew straight forward, then it flew back and took out five more cultists, returning to his lance.

"That's an interesting attack." Erza said as she slashed down a few more people with ease, "Perhaps another day you could teach me how to do something similar." She slashed down more people, blood spattered to the ground. For a moment, the Emerald Knight thought Erza had forgotten her anger, but then she said, "If you're not exiled from the guild."

The Emerald Knight felt a strange mix of humbleness, and trepidation, never expecting that he would ever feel both these emotions so strongly at the same time, "Looks like they're finally thinning down." He said as he slashed down a few more.

"Yes, it appears so." She said, "You've made the ordeal a lot quicker. Thank you."

There was horrid roar coming from the temple, one that sounded as if it belonged to a demon.

"Scary…" Happy shivered.

"What in damnation is that?" The Emerald Knight asked.

Erza winced a bit, "…it must be…." She trailed off and swallowed hard.

"I suppose the ruins will be our next stop then."

Erza nodded and started running, the others following her quickly.

* * *

"That roar…" Gray said, "I only wish I could forget it…"

"Deliora…" Lyon's eyes slowly opened up.

"Damn it…is it really revived? That leaves me with only one option…" Gray started to leave the room, "Iced Shell!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Any thoughts? Sorry if this chapter is on the shorter side, but more are on the way! Hope you liked it! :)


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Here's chapter seventeen! Thanks again to Svane Vulfbad for reviewing the Lullaby Arc, it really means a lot. Hope you like this!

* * *

Happy looked around the inside of the temple, "Are we all sure that the roaring is Deliora?"

"I hate to say it, but it looks like we were too late…" The Emerald Knight said.

"Damn…" Erza felt panic flutter in her chest, "This is not looking good for any of us…"

Happy's eyes widened, "Look guys, it's moon drip!" He pointed.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "So even after we took out all the cultists, Deliora has been revived…"

Another screech filled the air, Erza winced, then her eyes darted around, "But…I don't understand, if he's alive, then why didn't he destroy the temple yet, and why is the moon drip ceremony continuing? He must not be fully freed…" She turned quickly and started running, "C'mon, if the ceremony is still going, then we can stop it!"

* * *

Sure enough, Deliora's head and shoulders were free from the ice. The beast roared and roared, as more of the ice began to melt around him.

Zalty laughed, "Seems this is checkmate, Salamander."

"Damn it! I can't keep wasting time…I gotta finish this guy." Natsu said.

A crystal ball the size of an apple flew through the air, whacking Natsu right in the chest. It then flew back around and floated near Zalty's hand. "I believe it's my turn."

Natsu growled, "Get that thing out of my face!" He punched it with a flaming fist and broke it.

As the crystal exploded, Zalty held a hand out and it reformed into a ball, smacking him in the chest.

"Damn it…" Natsu flinched, "You fixed it…"

"I am able to control the timeline of an object's life. In other words, I have the capability to break things that are new, or return broken things to their original state."

"You can control time?" Natsu asked, dumbfounded.

"The Arc of Time is the lost magic I specialize in." His crystal buzzed with energy, "Shall I show you what happens when I send this crystal into the future?" The crystal whizzed forward and smashed into Natsu dozens of times.

As Natsu punched and shattered the crystal, it reformed, "A waste of your time." Zalty chuckled.

The ball hit him in the head, then as he kept trying to punch it and it whizzed around, it suddenly came to a stop in front of him.

"It stopped…" Natsu panted.

"Of course, I can also stop time." It whirled back into his possession.

"I guess it doesn't work on humans?"

"Excellent observation." He smiled, "Yes, my magic does not work on humans. That is why I cannot affect the ice surrounding Deliora, because it is Ur."

Natsu's stance slumped, "I don't get you guys. Why are you going through all this trouble just to melt Deliora and boost Lyon's ego? I mean…that's great…he gets to kill a demon, but what do you guys get out of it?"

He gave a low chuckle, then he burst out with laughter, "Well, Salamander, I suppose I'll entertain you. The Cold Emperor, no, that little whelp has no chance of defeating Deliora!"

"Well in that case we're in serious trouble!" Natsu said, "Unless you plan on defeating it yourself…"

"Perish the thought." He said, "I intend to make that beast my own." He gave a dark sneer, "There are methods to control even one of Zeref's creations…think of the fun I could have with that!"

"That's it?" Natsu asked, "That's kinda pathetic…I thought you had this huge impressive plan in mind…but it's just that…"

"Foolish boy, you don't understand. In times where power is needed, it comes."

"I believe in the power of my friends!" Natsu flared up, fire all over his body, "I believe in the power of Fairy Tail wizards!"

"That idea will lead to your downfall." He said, then he smiled, "Like this ceiling." He held a hand up, the ceiling crumbled away.

"Not one of you have a good reason for the hell you've put those villagers through!" Natsu raged, "I've had enough!" He sprinted at Zalty, avoiding the rock fall.

"You have a powerful fire, yes, but it cannot stand against my Arc of Time!"

"Just get off this island!" He rocketed up in the air with flames at his feet, under the cover of the smoke.

"He's gone!" Zalty looked around.

"This is how I control time!" Natsu said from above.

"What?"

"Look at your future!" Natsu flew downward, "In about one second, I'm gonna send you flying!" He punched Zalty in the face, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Zalty gave a cry of pain as he flew back, shocked that Natsu made his move at all, let alone defeated him in battle.

* * *

At the top of the temple, Happy, Erza, and the Emerald Knight found Toby performing the moon drip all by himself.

Erza gave a warrior's cry as she ran forward with a huge blade to slice into Toby.

Toby flew back, crying out as he hit the ground.

"Excellent!" The Emerald Knight smiled, "You stopped moon drip."

"He was doing it by himself?" Happy asked.

"It's too late!" Toby growled as he got up, "The ceremony was already over!"

Sure enough, roaring was heard from below the temple, Deliora had awoken.

* * *

Deliora roared to the heavens, now fully free. Gray watched in horror, seeing the beast of his childhood roar once again. He grabbed some of the chilly water around him, knowing that it was Ur deep down.

"Gray! There you are!" Natsu called, walking over freshly from his defeat of Zalty.

"Natsu!" Gray said, surprised that he was even here.

"There's only one thing we can do now." He said, "We gotta kill this thing!"

There was a soft, raspy chuckle from the ground, as Lyon slowly crawled his way over. There was blood all over him, and his eyes were wide with a frantic insanity and excitement, "No chance…you guys could do it…I must surpass Ur…so I will do it…" He panted.

"Lyon!" Gray said, shocked and overall disturbed that Lyon made his way down here.

"Pfft, you're the one without a chance!" Natsu said, "You can't even walk!"

"Finally…we meet again…" Lyon looked up with his crazed smile, "Deliora…" He cackled on the ground:

" _Can you tell me who the strongest wizard is?" The young Lyon asked._

" _Only one name fits that bill, Ur." A villager said._

" _Of course she's been holed up in the mountains ever since she lost her daughter." Another villager said._

" _But no one around here could even stand in Ur's shadow."_

" _Ur, huh?" Lyon smiled._

"This monster…" Lyon coughed and stood up, "Is the one thing that Ur couldn't defeat…now…I will take it down…myself…" He shook as he stood tall:

" _Why are you taking in that punk and teaching him magic?" The younger Lyon snapped._

" _He said he wanted to learn magic, what's your problem with it?" Ur asked._

" _But you have me! Shouldn't I be enough of a replacement for your daughter?"_

 _Ur froze, she turned to him and slapped him in the face. Lyon flinched and shrunk back, his eyes watering._

" _Lyon…I never once thought of you as a replacement for my daughter…" She put a hand on his cheek, "You are you." She smiled, "You're my adorable apprentice."_

Lyon sniffed, "And now…I…I can finally surpass you!"

Gray delivered a swift chop to Lyon's neck, knocking him to the ground, "Enough, Lyon, leave the rest to me." He stood in front of the demon and took the stance of Iced Shell, "I'll be the one to take down Deliora!"

"That's Iced Shell!" Lyon's tears multiplied, "No! Don't do it Gray!" He screamed, "Do you have any idea how long it took me to melt that ice! I'll just do it again! You're ice will be melted! Then Deliora will be revived again!"

"This is the only thing I can do!" Gray said, "I need to save everyone here and now!"

Natsu walked over and stood in the way of the Iced Shell, in between Gray and Deliora.

"Natsu!" Gray snapped.

" _I'm_ going to fight that thing." Natsu said.

"Get out of the way!"

"I stopped you from killing yourself once." Natsu looked back, "Why the hell would I let you try again?"

Gray paused, his attack slowing down considerably.

"If you _really_ want to do it, then go ahead…"

"Natsu…" Gray said, then his eyes widened, "Get out of here!"

Deliora roared, rearing a fist back to punch Natsu.

"I'm not going to give up until the very end!" Natsu fist flared up, his fist met with the demon's. Strangely, they held a match in power, stranger still, the demon's arms began to crack and crumble to pieces.

"What?" Gray said.

Lyon's eyes widened in horror.

More of Deliora began to crack and fade away, breaking into little chunks which fell in the water, "What's going on?" Natsu asked.

"This…this is impossible…" Lyon shook as Deliora dissolved away, "No…it can't be! Deliora…was already dead…for ten years…Ur trapped it in ice, stealing away it's life force little by little…and all we did, is witness it's last dying breaths…" He started crying as he slammed a fist down, "I can't surpass Ur!"

Gray sniffed, remembering the words Ur had told him when she first sealed up the gargantuan creature:

" _I'm going to seal your darkness away."_

Gray started crying as well, for a reason altogether separate than why Lyon was crying, "Thank you…thank you Ur…"

A gauntlet held Gray's shoulder, Gray turned to see the Emerald Knight, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Natsu!" Happy flew into Natsu's chest.

With the entirety of the team reunited, everyone was filled in on what happened. Ur's ice may have melted, but she now flows into the ocean. In a way, Ur will always watch over her two disciples. The Emerald Knight smiled, watching Gray help Lyon up, and he laughed when Natsu screamed like a girl at the sight of Erza.

* * *

"Yay! We did it!" Natsu cheered.

"Aye!" Happy said, the team had relocated to outside the ruins closer to the coast.

The Emerald Knight took a deep sigh, "I simply cannot believe my luck with the lot of you. Every time I'm sure that we're going to die, we somehow manage to defy the odds. I suppose I should really be thanking Master Ur." He chuckled.

"And that means we solved an S-Class quest!" Natsu cheered.

"Aye!" Happy said, "Second-floor privileges for us!"

Gray and the Emerald Knight exchanged a particularly terrified glance, it was as if the two knuckleheads selectively forgot that Erza was standing there.

Erza was glaring at them, with the same ferocity as she had before. "It will be a miracle if you'll ever touch the second floor, let alone the floors of the guild. Especially you." She looked at Gray, then sighed, "Besides, we didn't solve the S-Class quest either. The goal was to save the villagers from their curse, remember?"

"Wouldn't killing Deliora negate the curse…?" The Emerald Knight asked quietly, not even sure if he should condescend Erza's opinion at this point.

"Not necessarily. Deliora wasn't causing their bodies to turn that way, it was a side effect of the moon drip, like powerful radiation."

The Emerald Knight furrowed his brows, deep in thought on how to undo this.

"Okay, we'll just go and fix them!" Natsu said.

"Aye!" Happy said.

"Guys, it's not gonna be that easy…" Gray said, then he looked back at Lyon, who was sitting against a rock, bruised and beaten, "Do you know?"

"I haven't the faintest clue." Lyon faced them.

"You don't know?" Natsu growled.

"Do you know how the curse began in the first place?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"When we came to this island, three years ago, we knew there was a village. But we never interfered with the villagers lives. And they never came to see what we were up to, either." Lyon said.

"For three years you've never interacted?" Erza seemed shocked.

The Emerald Knight put a hand to his chin, "You'd think with a glowing purple moon, the villagers would go all over the island to find a cause…"

Lyon looked at him, "Moon drip may have small effects on the human body…but-

"But what? You're trying to say this isn't all your fault!" Natsu snapped.

"My allies and I have been bathed in moon drip for three years and none of us have been affected." Lyon said, as their silence persisted, he said, "I wouldn't trust those villagers, I think they're hiding something."

"Pfft, yeah right, you tried to destroy the village." Natsu said, "You guys are just trying to cover up-

It was then Erza remembered what Toby told her when she defeated him:

" _You wanna know why we want to bring back Deliora?" He asked, his usual goofy and high voice now serious and somber, "Because all of our families were killed by Deliora…that's why we wanted to help Lyon. We thought he could beat him. And then we would finally have our revenge…"_

Erza squished Natsu's mouth shut, "From their perspective, they had good intentions. It isn't fair of you to make assumptions like that, Natsu." She grabbed his shoulder and tugged him along to the village, "Let's go."

"But how are we going to undo the curse?" The Emerald Knight asked as he followed them.

"Who knows?" Happy asked.

"I feared that would be your answer…"

Gray watched them all walk away, turning back to Lyon, it was just the two of them now.

"What are you looking at?" Lyon asked.

"You should really join a guild of your own." Gray said, "You'd meet new friends, get to go on jobs, hey, maybe you'd get a new dream too." He started following his friends, "Think about it."

"You're pathetic." Lyon snarled, badly hiding a smile, "Don't you worry about me."

* * *

 **A/N:** Little does Lyon know what lies in wait for him…yay! Galuna Island will probably be finished in the next chapter. And then I'll probably do a light, slice of life chapter or two before I dive into Phantom Lord.

I feel as though I should do a public service announcement of sorts. As I have mentioned before, the Emerald Knight won't be the only OC in this story. And I think I finally have it laid down as to the rest of the cast. I figured I should reveal who's taking who's place so people don't get their hopes up about certain Fairy Tail characters only to see them be cut entirely. (Although for the most part I think I did the fan base a favor). Characters getting replaced as follows:

-Anyone in the Heartfilia family…for, obvious reasons…

-A certain troll from Blue Pegasus (Doing you a favor)

-A certain spy who works for both Fairy Tail and the magic council and has somewhat of a thing for Wendy (Again, doing you a favor)

-A member or two of the Legion Platoon will be different

-Lastly, Colonel Arcadios will be replaced by an OC. (No disrespect towards him, I just have something a bit more fun in mind for his role).

That's all for now. Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Here's chapter eighteen! Time to close up Galuna Island! Thanks again for all the kind reviews I've been given!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

The team from Fairy Tail returned to the storage area, but they were all a bit confused when they saw how empty the place was.

"You guys sure the villagers moved here after their village was destroyed?" Natsu asked.

"Yes, we were all here…" The Emerald Knight said, "They moved here after the acid wiped out everything…but…I'm not sure as to where they are now…"

"Hello?" Happy called, flying around.

"Well, while you guys are doing that…I'm gonna see if I can patch myself up a bit more…" Gray muttered as he went into one of the tents.

"You guys are back?" A villager asked, spotting them.

"Follow us to the village, hurry!" Another said.

When they went back to the village it didn't look as if it had been attacked at all. It looked exactly the way it did when the Fairy Tail group first arrived a few days ago.

"How…how is this possible…?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"The village was completely demolished…" Happy said.

"It went back to normal?" Natsu asked, "What the hell is going on here?" He knocked on a nearby house, "How did this happen? It's like time went backwards!"

"We could chalk it up to a miracle…" The Emerald Knight said quietly.

"Time…?" Natsu asked slowly, remembering Zalty and the magic he so often bragged about, "No…but…why would he…?"

"Did you say something?"

"Eh, who cares how it happened!" Natsu shrugged.

"Aye!" Happy said.

The Emerald Knight smiled and shook his head, then he noticed the chief kneeling near Bobo's grave. So everything truly was brought back. His smile grew and he walked over to the chief.

The chief turned to him before he could give any semblance of a greeting, "Was it you who returned the village to the way it was?"

The Emerald Knight blinked a few times "Uh…no…that would be an inaccuracy…"

"Nevertheless, I must thank you for that…however…" The chief clenched his fists in eagerness, "When are you planning to destroy the moon?"

Erza blinked, "Well, if that's all you need, then I don't see what's holding us back."

"What? Don't go telling him things like that!" Gray said.

"Aye!" Happy said.

"But first." Erza held a hand over them, "There is something I must ask. But I would like everyone to hear it."

As all the villagers gathered closer, Erza spoke up, "So it was after the moon turned purple that you all changed this way?"

"That's right." A villager nodded.

As Erza started to pace, the Emerald Knight shifted to a more comfortable position, kicking a stone out of his way.

"So in summary, this has been going on for three years…that beam of light you might have seen over the horizon? That was the moon drip. That was responsible for-

As the Emerald Knight kicked the stone away, it landed under Erza's foot and she gave a very high-pitched and girlish scream, falling right on her face.

"Ooh…you're in for it now…Ant…" Happy said.

"She…she screamed…like a girl…" Natsu said.

"It was kinda cute…" Gray muttered.

The Emerald Knight felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, "I'm so sorry." He got on his knees, watching her get back up, "Are you alright?"

She got back up, "In other words, there's been something else on the island, something suspicious, causing this to happen."

The Emerald Knight crossed his arms nonchalantly and tried to hide his shivering. This island was not good for his blood pressure.

"Why didn't you look into it?" Erza asked.

"Well…you see…it's against our doctrine to go into the temple…" The chief said.

"Doctrine?" The Emerald Knight cocked an eyebrow, "But people were dying, and you were in a state of chaos…why wouldn't you break your doctrine just this one time?"

A few of the villagers chatted nervously.

"I'd like to hear the answer to that as well." Erza chimed in.

"Well, to be honest, we don't really know ourselves." The chief said, "We intended to investigate the ruins a number of times. We may be simple village folk, but we armed ourselves for battle and headed to the temple numerous times. But we could never get close!" He said, "We would take our long hike there, and before we knew it, we'd be back at the village entrance. We could never get near the ruins…"

"You could never get near them?" The Emerald Knight repeated, beyond confused.

"But we could enter them no problem…I don't get it…" Natsu said.

"We thought it would sound weird, so we didn't tell you." A villager said.

"We thought you wouldn't believe us." Another villager said.

"But not a single one of us has ever made it to the ruins." A third villager said.

Erza narrowed her eyes and had a determined look to her eye as she looked up at the moon.

In a tree above, the hair on Zalty's mask blew in the wind as he leaned in, a huge swelling bump on his cheek, "Titania is truly worthy of her name…she saw right through our ploy…"

"Natsu." Erza's figure transformed as her armor changed, "I'm going to need your help."

Her armor transformed into a golden chest plate with broad and pointed shoulders. There were white accents all along her armor, with matching gauntlets. Her legs were covered as well with white and golden armor, and boots with heels that were at least a few inches. Her helmet looked like a golden set of horns, and her skirt was plated gold as well. Finally, she held an ornate golden spear that sparkled in the sun, "I need your help to destroy the moon." She finished.

"Awesome!" Natsu cheered, with the rest of the group looking at the duo as if they were insane.

"We'll destroy the moon and turn them back to the way they were." Erza said.

"You mean we'll be able to see it?" A villager asked.

"We'll finally get our old bodies back!" Another cheered.

"Shouldn't we go to the temple?" Natsu looked at Erza, "Pretty sure it's taller."

"This will be fine. Besides, we can't reach there, since the villagers wouldn't be able to make it either."

"Destroy the moon…" Gray seemed skeptical, "I mean…Erza's ridiculously strong but…I think that's impossible even for her…"

"How in damnation does she plan to do it?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"This is so exciting! My heart is racing!" Happy jumped up and down.

"So is mine…" The Emerald Knight muttered, "Considering what happens if the moon actually is destroyed…"

"This armor I'm wearing, it's called Giant's Armor. It allows me to throw things farther. And this pike." She looked at it, "The De-Malevo-Lance, it destroys dark powers."

"So you're going to throw it and destroy the moon?" Natsu shook with excitement, "That's so freaking awesome!"

Gray and the Emerald Knight exchanged a glance. It was impossible.

"The reason I need you, Natsu, is because the strength of my armor is not enough. I need a firepower boost from you. You need to hit the hilt with everything you have, to give me the necessary boost to launch it and destroy the moon."

"Alright, let's do it." Natsu clenched his hand into a fist.

"How can they get so worked up about this?" Gray asked.

"Are they actually going to destroy the moon?" The Emerald Knight shivered.

Erza took a short running throw, calling Natsu's name so he knew just when to hit it. As his fist ignited and struck the pike, it soared through the air, coated in white flames.

Natsu overall looked enthusiastic as the flaming pike soared through the air, while everyone else looked slightly nervous. Eventually the pike flew up until it hit the moon, causing the purple moon to crack into little fragments.

The Emerald Knight's jaw dropped, Gray looked like he would faint.

The moon cracked more and more until it reached towards the sky, and the sky cracked and fell apart, glittering down towards them.

"What?" The villagers asked.

"What the heck happened to the moon?" Natsu looked at the moon, no longer purple.

"Not to mention the sky is raining down on us…" The Emerald Knight said.

Natsu looked at Erza, "What the heck happened?"

Erza reequipped, the pike she threw disappeared as well before it landed on a nearby villager, "We destroyed a dark membrane that was covering the sky."

"Membrane?" Happy asked.

"It was made up from dark particles or gas that was created as a byproduct of the moon drip. It formed a shell, almost, over the island, making the moon look as if it was purple."

The Emerald Knight nodded. That explanation would take a long, long time to sink in, but he had seen some pretty strange things ever since he joined the guild.

"Now that the membrane is broken, everything should return to normal." Erza said, smiling.

"Uh…" Gray watched the villagers, they were still demons, "Nothing is back to normal…"

"But why not?" Happy looked sad.

"On the contrary, they have gone back to 'normal'." Erza said, "The membrane didn't tamper with their bodies, it tampered with their memories."

"Their memories?" Natsu asked.

"Why did it change their memories?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"They were all originally demons." Erza said, "With the ability to turn into humans. But they were under the assumption that they weren't supposed to be demons, due to the memory disruption from the moon drip."

"Are you guys seriously demons?" Gray looked at a villager.

"Well…my memory is a bit fuzzy…" The villager confessed.

"So why didn't it affect Lyon and company?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Because they were human. Moon drip only has negative impacts on demons." She turned around, "That's also why they couldn't reach the temple. Darkness, evil, or creatures such as demons are not allowed near something so sacred."

"You guys completed the job!" A familiar voice said, "I'm glad I entrusted you with saving my village!"

"It's that guy from the boat!" Gray said.

"But…but I thought…" The Emerald Knight said.

"But we killed you!" A villager said.

"I mean, yeah, I got stabbed a few times, but it takes a lot more than that to kill a demon!" Bobo laughed.

"But you completely disappeared on the boat!" Gray said.

Bobo disappeared.

But at a closer glance, he was merely flying in the air with his demonic wings, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys the whole story! I was one of the few villagers with my memories intact! But I couldn't go back because everyone thought I was a monster!"

The chief sniffed, trying to hold himself back from crying, but he couldn't. He flew up in the sky, bawling, "Bobo! You're alive!" He hugged his son.

"Hey dad, looks like you finally got your memory back!" Bobo laughed.

The Emerald Knight smiled at the warm display, "It's hard to believe that this is an island for demons…"

"But look at their faces." Natsu smiled, "They look more like angels than demons!"

Zalty watched the partying commence through the night. His crystal ball floated in the air, and eventually, Siegrain's voice came out of it, "Why did you restore the village?"

"I wouldn't want to raise too much suspicion." He said, "Despite how isolated the place is, an entire island of people morphing into demons would surely spread eventually."

"That bunch really outdid my expectations…" Siegrain said, "It would be unfortunate if Fairy Tail were to interfere with our plans any further."

Zalty chuckled and stood a bit taller than usual, taking his mask off. Suddenly, the aged face he had behind the mask transformed into a beautiful face with dark hair and lipstick, a familiar face. The woman from the council who sat next to Siegrain stood in his place with a smile, "I agree."

* * *

Lyon and his followers watched over the party from a safe distance, "Uh…Cold Emperor…I mean…Lyon…" Yuka said, "I think I might go down to the village…I…I just feel bad about leaving things the way they are…"

"Go right ahead." Lyon said, covered in bandages since his conversation with Gray, "I might stay here….I don't think a party would suit someone in my condition…"

"Are you sure?" Sherry asked, covered in a great deal of bandages, "I'll be there, my love."

Lyon nodded, "You two have fun."

"I would go…but seeing them…would make me cry, out of sheer regret!" Toby bawled.

Yuka rolled his eyes, he and Sherry went down to the village. The entire party abruptly came to halt and everyone stared at them, as if they were two new kids in a schoolyard.

Sherry blushed and looked away, covering her bandaged stomach with her arms.

"Uh…yeah…so…" Yuka started.

"You were the punks that destroyed the village!" Natsu snapped, "Where's your emperor buddy now?"

"Natsu." Erza gently held his shoulder. "Relax." Erza looked at Yuka and Sherry, "They mean us no harm now, so there's no reason to fight." She said, giving them a stern look regardless.

Sherry shuddered more, wishing she stayed back with Lyon, "I….I should actually be going…"

"You…you're making peace with us?" Yuka asked.

"No." Natsu said.

"You guys are cool, at least for now." Gray said, "I guess Lyon wouldn't like it if I teased his friends so much." The Emerald Knight snickered and nodded in agreement.

Sherry paused, tearing up, "You…love us?"

"That isn't what he said at all." The Emerald Knight said, watching everyone go back to their merry way, then he looked at Sherry, "So…how's Angelica…?"

"…better than I am…" She said quietly, looking away from him in fear.

That was awkward. First of all, being a knight, he was never used to empathizing with the enemy, not in a-thousand years. But, this was different than all those cut-and-dry black-and-white skirmishes he participated in. Different from Eisenwald and Everlue. These people had similar upbringings to Gray, give or take, what, with Deliora ruining their lives. "You don't have to be so scared."

Her bright blue eyes darted up to meet his and she blushed again.

He turned pink as well and looked away, "We're not enemies anymore. Things have changed. You should relax and enjoy yourself a bit, like Yuka is…or…at least he's trying to…" He squinted, watching Natsu bore him with some pointless anecdote.

She gave a little smile, then gently hugged him, "Alright, I will! Your words have left my senses flooded like rivers, my love!"

"There you go, Ant." Erza nodded approvingly, "Now you just need to buy a ring." Gray laughed.

"Ah! Alright, I get it!" The Emerald Knight's face flushed completely red, "You can get off me now…" He said softly.

* * *

They had partied all night, sleeping into most of the day, when the Emerald Knight woke up, he saw Gray futzing with something on his face, "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I just got a new scar…" Gray felt his forehead, "Freaking annoying…I can't even see it."

He chuckled, remembering the tales of battle scars throughout his years training with his fellow knights.

"Hey, where did Mega-Brows and Love Girl go?" Natsu asked.

"Like typical party guest, they stuffed their faces and left." Happy shrugged.

"What?" The chief looked at Erza, "You cannot accept the reward?"

"I'm sorry. We simply cannot accept anything."

"But-

"As stated before, these four letdowns failed to officially accept the quest, therefore we cannot accept any rewards."

"But you still recued us." The chief smiled, "Maybe…not as a reward…but as a token of our goodwill?"

She smiled, "When you put it that way, it's difficult to refuse…"

"Alright!" Natsu cheered.

"Seven-million jewel!" Gray grinned.

"But it would break the guild's doctrine, and I think enough rules have been broken today."

Natsu and Gray wilted.

"At least let me take you back to Hargeon." Bobo offered.

"That won't be needed." Erza said, "I have a means of travel."

At the coast, Erza showed them a pirate ship, complete with a crew and a captain with a beard and everything.

"A pirate ship?" Gray's jaw dropped.

"Wow…Erza hijacked a pirate ship!" Happy said.

The Emerald Knight shuddered. _This is bizarre, even for Erza's standards…_

"I think I'll swim." Natsu said.

"Thank you so much for all of you who helped us!" Bobo called as the ship began to take off, the villagers cheered and waved to their hearts content as the Fairy Tail wizards waved back.

Lyon watched their departure from afar, turning to Sherry, Yuka, and Toby, "You were all in a guild before. What was that like? Was it fun?"

* * *

"The events that unfolded around Deliora are unfortunate…" The woman who was disguised as Zalty swept her long black hair over her shoulders.

Siegrain sighed in his luxurious chair, "It cannot be helped. I doubt anyone expected it to be dead already. I thought if I could control Deliora, I'd be one step closer towards my goal."

"Forgive me." She looked down at the floors, "I never expected her to be so strong."

"I'm not surprised." He said, "Your mother, Ur, was a very powerful woman, Ultear." He held out a silver, sacred medal, "Had she lived to today, I'm sure she would be one of the Ten Wizard Saints."

"You give her too much credit." She gazed warmly at him, then looked away, "She was much too focused on magic to enjoy life…hence her abandonment of my father….amongst other things…"

"I wonder." He stood up, "She may have taken those two disciples to fill a void of some sort. Perhaps she had lingering feelings for-

"I really don't think that matters right now." One of her hands gently landed on his chest, with the other hand, she planted a finger on his lips, smiling as her face was inches from his, "Our priority now is to take the next step…"

"…what's wrong with your face?"

The loving look in her eye faded a bit, "My face?" She touched her cheeks, one of them swelled up drastically, "What is this!?"

Siegrain laughed, "I see he left you with a bruise, so how was fighting Natsu?"

She winced, "He was impressive, though I only used less than half of my powers." She sighed, "But he will get stronger."

"Again, I'm not surprised…he is Igneel's son…" Siegrain looked a combination of both hopeful and ambitious, "To fulfill my dream, he must continue to burn brightly…"

* * *

"We're back!" Natsu cheered as the Fairy Tail team walked the streets of Magnolia.

"Aye!" Happy said.

"After all that work…we got nothing…I guess it can't be helped." Gray said.

"Yeah, considering we did that job illegally…" Happy said.

"It wasn't an official mission, so I don't want to hear any complaints." Erza said strictly, "The first thing that needs to be handled is bringing you to the guild and dealing with your fate. I would prepare any sort of punishment, including exile. The Master's patience isn't as generous as it used to be, and neither is mine."

"You don't think he'd make us do _that_ , do you?" Gray shivering, looking as if any minute he'd start a full-on panic attack.

"No! I never want to do _that_ again!" Happy teared up.

"Um…what is _that?_ " The Emerald Knight asked quietly.

"Don't worry Ant. He'll think we did such a great job, that he'll only give us praise and forget about the punishment altogether!" Natsu said.

"I'm not sure it'll be that easy…"

"I trust that will be just what you expect." Erza kept walking, before a grin appeared on her face, "And it would be a lie to say I'm not looking forward to it."

"No! I'll do anything as long as it isn't _that!_ " Natsu screamed.

"Someone tell me what _that_ is!" The Emerald Knight shouted.

* * *

 **A/N:** Any thoughts? Let me know with a review! The next chapter will be another break chapter, where we get to catch up with the guild before the next main arc. Thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Here's chapter nineteen! As promised, this one is a little less action packed as the others. A little break before the next arc was well needed! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Erza opened the doors to the guild, "Where is the Master?" She demanded.

A silence filled the guild hall.

"He's out at the moment. What do you need?" Mirajane walked over with a smile.

"Punishment. Natsu, Ant, Gray and Happy have returned."

"It's nice to see you all." Mirajane said sweetly, "How did it go?"

"Fun!" Happy said.

"I kicked a lot of butt." Natsu said casually.

"It certainly was…eventful…" Gray said.

The Emerald Knight slumped down in a seat, stricken with fear about what Makarov would do to them, but now that he wasn't here, they had a grace period. How long said grace period was, is the question that was making his heart skip a beat.

"You okay?" He heard a warm and friendly voice as Levy sat next to him.

"I believe so." The Emerald Knight said, "Now I at least know the difference between standard quests and S-Class ones…"

"It's too bad…" Wakaba said, "I had high hopes for you guys, when the Master gets back from his trip there's no telling what'll happen."

"Hopefully he won't make you do _that_." Macao added.

"Hey, I'm too cute to go through such a procedure, don't bring such a suggestion to my ears!" Happy said.

Mirajane giggled, "Would anyone like any food?"

"Yes." The Emerald Knight looked up.

"Oh hell yeah." Natsu said.

"Natsu, you already stuffed yourself at the village…" Happy said.

"I'll pass…" Gray said.

"Afraid of Makarov's beating, are you?" Elfman asked, "You should face your punishment like a real man."

He sighed, "Easy for you to say, you're not getting punished…"

"I'm sure he'll go easy on you." Levy said, "Especially you." She smiled at the Emerald Knight, "Because you're a new member, he wouldn't want to send you away that quickly!"

 _That's not what Erza made it sound like._ "I'll try to keep an unbiased outlook." The Emerald Knight said.

"That's a good idea." She kicked her feet back and forth, "So what was it like?" She gave a little smile, her big dark eyes looking up at his for answers, "An S-Class quest? Was it really a lot harder?"

He nodded, "Much harder. You'd need an army of guild mates just to get it done…"

"Oh wow…so it's a good thing Erza tagged in then?"

"Yes, if it weren't for her…I fear to think what would happen…"

"Well, it was either her or Laxus, since Mystogan is still out on that mission. And Laxus really wasn't in the mood." She sat back as Mirajane handed her a cup of tea, then handed the Emerald Knight a platter of food, "Not that Erza was really in the mood either. I hope she wasn't too mean."

"We broke the rules." He said, "How she acted made perfect sense given the circumstances."

She nodded, "I know Erza can be really strict with rules and taking charge." She said, resting her head on her hand, which was leaning on the table, "I wonder why she's like that." Levy watched as Erza stood in about the center of the guild, ordering people around and commenting on their actions.

He felt his forehead, wearily nibbling on his food. He had honestly seen enough of Erza after everything that had happened, "I hope the Master is merciful…at least…"

"He should be." She said, then she hugged him, "That would be terrible if he exiled you! I would miss you!"

 _It wouldn't be the first time I was cast aside._ He turned pink, much to the annoyance and perhaps jealousy of Jet and Droy, "I suppose I shouldn't have travelled with Natsu then…but I'll remain optimistic for the time being."

Cana strolled over and sat next to Levy, squeezing her, "How's my favorite bookworm?"

Levy giggled a bit as she was squeezed, "Good. You seem sober for once."

"Eh, for now." Cana said, "I'm working on that." She swirled her mug around, "So Ant, how was that mission?"

"I'd like to hear too." Mirajane walked over after serving everyone.

The Emerald Knight's eyes were only Natsu and Gray, on the verge of starting a brawl, it seemed, only to have Erza split them up and warning a punishment on top of their punishment, "It's very personal to Gray, I don't think he would like it if I divulged his inner secrets."

"It's Gray, what kinda secrets can he have?" Cana took a sip of his drink, "Guys like him don't care about their backstories. Doesn't matter to them."

"Cana, you know that isn't true." Mirajane said.

Cana rolled her eyes and looked at the Emerald Knight, "Tell me later." She whispered with a wink.

"I can persuade the Master to let you off with just a warning." Mirajane said.

"You can persuade the Master into anything." Cana laughed.

"This may be true, but only for his case." She rested a hand on the Emerald Knight's shoulder, "The other three should have known."

The Emerald Knight sighed, "You're a lifesaver…"

"How are you gonna persuade the Master?" Cana asked with a smile.

"I'll give him the next edition's copy of Sorcerer Weekly a few weeks in advanced. I know he'll appreciate it."

Cana laughed, "Jeez, Dreyars are perverts, aren't they?"

"I suppose so." Mirajane muttered, "But, that should be enough to tide him over."

"For a few weeks. Then he'll need more." Cana said menacingly.

"Oh dear…that sounds nightmarish…" Mirajane looked a bit nervous.

Levy giggled a bit, "You make the Master out to sound like a monster, Cana."

Cana gave a dark laugh as she finished her drink.

* * *

The Emerald Knight was sitting at a table eating dinner, a lot of people had headed home for the night. Mirajane was cleaning a spot off the counter, and Cana was sitting at the table next to him, drinking from her giant barrel, "Hey, Ant. Wanna come sit with me?"

He looked back at Mirajane, "Uh…"

Cana rolled her eyes, "I wanna hear about Gray. Besides, Mira's in a bad mood when she cleans the counters."

The Emerald Knight sat across from her, "I've never noticed…"

"Yeah, I started picking up on that recently." She muttered, getting up and sitting next to him herself, "You have a place back in Fairy Hills or do you just sleep in the basement?"

"I live far away from here." He said, "Well, not that far, but far in regards to where everyone else lives."

"If you ever need a place to stay, you could stay at my place." She pointed, "I wouldn't mind. I'm hardly there half the time."

"I thought they were segregated by gender…"

"I sneak guys in there all the time, it's no big deal."

He shuddered, "I'm not interested…"

"Alright." She said with a snicker, "So I guess where you grew up, girls like me aren't typical."

"I suppose not."

She laughed a bit, "Sorry if I make you uncomfortable, sweetheart."

His cheeks went pink and he looked away, "I assume you want to hear about Gray…"

"Oh, yeah, forgot about that." She sat back, "Lay it on me."

He took a deep breath, "The reason the island was cursed was because there was a demon frozen in ice and people were trying to thaw it using the moonlight…"

She took a few glugs of his drink as he started telling the story. As he paused, she paused, "Well? Go on. I'm not gonna stop you. I'll ask questions later."

"The demon killed Gray's family, and his teacher. Yes, Gray meant to take us back to the guild, but, once he saw his childhood demon, he wanted to help us against the forces who aimed to revive it. Gray fought their leader while the rest of us fought his followers. After I defeated one of them, Erza arrived to the island…she wasn't pleased…well…to be honest…she tied me up with Happy. She wanted to take us back, but Gray refused to leave. I thought he would eventually give in to Erza's will, but when he didn't, it truly shocked me. Amazed me even. We stayed and finished our business on the island, then we returned home."

"Erza had to be pissed….bet you wish it was Mystogan that showed up instead. I've heard he's a pretty calm dude."

"Yes…she was very…violent when she first arrived at the island…"

"Damn….leave it to Erza…" Cana muttered, "Maybe if I get Mira over here and get her drunk, we can get her to tell us all about Erza." She snickered, "Those two grew up together."

"Did they?" He looked back at Mirajane, then he faced forward, "I didn't know that."

"Yeah, I'm about the same age as Levy, Gray and Natsu." She said, "Jet and Droy came when they were adults, Levy helped them out on a mission, they vowed to follow her around." She snickered, "Macao and Wakaba grew up here too, they're getting up there. And then the Master's been here for years, he was born into the guild."

He nodded, "How interesting."

Mirajane wandered over, her eyes looking a bit weary, "Were you two going to head home soon or are you staying later?" She wiped the table down they were sitting at.

"Jeez, you look beat. I'm not tired at all." Cana said, "I was planning on sticking around."

"Okay, that's fine."

"She always works hard." The Emerald Knight smiled.

Mirajane turned bright red.

Cana gave a little smile, "Mira, sweetie, go home. Go to bed."

"I can't." She said, "It's my duty to protect the guild until….everyone is…gone….." She stumbled a bit as she fell asleep, then she caught herself, "Ooh!" She shuddered, "I'm sorry, I'll go make myself some more tea!"

"Perhaps I should head home." The Emerald Knight said, "I haven't been to my house in a while."

"Okay, goodnight." Mirajane waved, "I'll see you tomorrow!"

He waved back and took his leave.

Cana sighed, "He's really cute, you know."

"Mmm hmm." She finished cleaning the table.

Cana watched Mirajane clean, "I really wish I was as pretty as you are…he's not into girls like me at all…you act womanly, you dress nice and make food and clean, he likes that. Then there's me…breaking the rules….wearing a bra….I think I scare him…"

"I think it's hard to scare him."

"Eh, I don't think so. He's a big softy under that armor."

Mirajane giggled a bit.

"You like 'em that way, I can tell. You like the tough guys that are soft inside, huh?"

She blushed a bit, "Who doesn't?"

"Good question." Cana finished her drink, "Guess I'll go home…not that I really want to…I hate going home…." She stood up, "I'll just go to a bar…"

"Do you have the money for that?"

"Eh…I'll go on a job at some point."

"Okay." Mirajane giggled, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"See ya, cutie." She said as she left her barrel by the other empty barrels and left.

* * *

The Emerald Knight woke up to a gentle knock on the door. Usually he was awake early in the mornings, but after all the commotion on Galuna, he must have slept in. Then again, at eight in the morning, some would consider this early. But not him.

He quickly got up and put on his tunic, pants, and boots to at least look presentable, then he ran to answer the door, "Yes?" He rubbed his eyes.

"Hey!" Levy smiled, she looked energetic as ever, "Shoot, did I just wake you up?"

He blinked, "How did you know where I lived?"

"Mira told me." She giggled, "I was looking for a book of hers, she told me you had it."

"Oh, that's right…" His eyes widened. He forgot that Mirajane lent him a bunch of magic books before he went to Everlue's mansion. It felt like that escapade happened ages ago, even though the truth was it occurred a handful of weeks ago at most. He ran off to dig around in his bookshelf, leaving the door wide open for Levy to walk in, "Which book was it?" He asked.

She stepped in and looked around, then followed him and kneeled down by his bookshelf, "Oh wow…this is an impressive collection!"

He chuckled modestly, "Most of it isn't mine…Mirajane was simply worried about my lack of magical knowledge…come to think of it, I should probably be getting around to returning these to her. I've read mostly all of them, and I have retained their information."

"Can I read a few? Right now? Or are you busy today?"

"No, I'm not busy." He said, "I was just going to train today."

"Okay." She stared pulling books out, a huge stack in her arms. Most of the shelves were empty, "I won't damage anything, pinky promise!"

He blinked, "Are you sure you can carry all those by yourself?"

"Uh huh!" She said, stumbling a bit, but she made it to the desk and set them down, reaching in her back pocket and grabbing her glasses, grabbing one of the books and starting to read at lightning speeds.

"Those things gave me a headache the first time I read something with them."

"Oh, me too. I was a mess when I started using them when I was little." She giggled a bit, "Now I don't know what I'd do without them!" She said, then she looked up at him and smiled, "I can't really imagine you wearing a pair of glasses."

He gave a snicker, "Well…it was an emergency…Duke Everlue was hot on my trail…in any other circumstances I probably would have gone without them."

She giggled a bit as she closed the first book, "Mirajane's parents must have really done a lot of magic in their lives. These books are old, but they're beautiful, like artwork. And they're still accurate too! It's a good thing you decided to learn your magic from these, because they're right to the point."

"Hmm?" He peeked over her shoulder to see what book she had just finished, "Ah yes, I remember that one." It didn't surprise him much that Mirajane's parents were so talented. But why was it that Mirajane herself didn't use any magic? She seems to know a lot of information, it didn't really make sense for her just to be a barmaid. Well, Elfman at least seemed confident in his magical abilities…whatever those were.

There was a half-hearted knock on the door and then Natsu just busted through without waiting for a response, "Hey Ant!" He grinned, "Training time, right?"

"Aye!" Happy flew around the room.

The Emerald Knight blinked a few times in surprise, "You want to train with me?"

"Yeah, how many times have I told you, we need to train as a team!" Natsu said.

Levy looked up, "More visitors huh? Guess it's a good thing _I_ woke you up instead of those two."

"Hey, what's Levy doing here?" Natsu asked.

The Emerald Knight started, "She was-

"You didn't kidnap her, did you?"

"No!"

"I think Ant kidnapped her." Happy said.

"No I didn't."

Levy laughed, "It's okay, I came here on my own free will!"

"Alright then Ant!" Natsu eagerly rubbed his hands together, "Let's get going, right here, right now! Whoever does the most push-ups, wins!" Natsu got on the floor and started doing push-ups.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "Natsu…I just woke up…can I have breakfast first…?"

He didn't answer for a moment, as he was too absorbed in his training, "Hmm, looks like I'm up by ten already Ant, you'll need to do some fierce catching up."

He sighed and began doing push-ups alongside his friend.

Happy started as well, but after doing one, and struggling to do a second, he complained something along the lines of the fact that cats shouldn't do manual labor, and he sat on the sidelines for the rest of their exercise.

Levy's eyes strayed away from her book as she watched them do push-ups, "Um…while your training…I could try to make you breakfast." She offered, "Though I'm not sure it'll taste as good as Mira's cooking…I can't really remember the last time I made myself breakfast…or anything…."

"What…? No…I'll do it…" The Emerald Knight panted, "Once I'm finished with this fool…"

There was another knock on the door, then Gray walked in, in just his underwear, "What are you guys doing, playing a little game?"

"We're training!" Natsu said.

He leaned against the wall, "Jeez…didn't think I'd walk in on something like this…"

"More people?" Levy put her book down, "Is…it going to get more crowded in here? If it's too loud, I won't be able to read…"

"I think it'll just be us." Gray said, "I doubt anyone else knows where Ant lives."

Natsu got up and flexed his muscles, "Fifty-six, beat that!"

The Emerald Knight flopped on his back, "….forty…." He panted.

"That's it? Man, the gap between us gets bigger every time we train."

He got up and shook himself off, "Why don't I make breakfast?"

"Do you have fish?" Happy asked.

He sighed, "I'll see what I can do…"

Levy smiled, "Well, don't worry about making me anything, I wouldn't want to burden you."

"Yeah, in fact, why don't we just go out somewhere?" Gray asked.

"Where?" Happy asked.

"I don't know where, we could just go out to eat." He said, "Whatever trip gramps is on isn't gonna be over for a few days, so we deserve to have a little fun before we all get punished."

"Hmm…" Natsu said, "For once, we agree on something."

"Good…I'll…go get my armor then." The Emerald Knight said, still panting from earlier.

"Am I invited or is this a Team Natsu deal?" Levy asked.

"I don't see why not." Gray said, "Except if anything it should be Team Gray."

"Good one there, icicle." Natsu said, "It's clearly Team Natsu."

"Team Gray!"

"Team Natsu!"

The Emerald Knight sighed, "Your company would be appreciated…without you I fear that will be my only entertainment…"

Levy giggled a bit, "Trust me, I was starting to feel the same way about Jet and Droy. I love our team to death, but…sometimes they can get a little overbearing…"

The Emerald Knight nodded, watching Natsu and Gray brawl inside his house, he went to go put his armor on and the five of them left.

* * *

"Man, that food was good." Gray said, as the group walked down the streets of Magnolia.

The Emerald Knight nodded in agreement.

"I wonder why they all looked at me with funny faces when I asked for raw fish…" Happy said.

"And fire…" Natsu said.

Gray sighed, "Because those aren't exactly normal foods…"

Levy laughed as she looked down at the pavement, only stepping on the stones in the cobblestone road, "Maybe you do have it worse than me, Ant."

The Emerald Knight snickered. The truth was that he wouldn't trade his teammates for the world.

"So what else can we do for fun?" Natsu asked.

"How should I know?" Gray asked.

"I know." Natsu said as a dark grin appeared on his face, "I can kick your butt."

"I think fighting in the guild and in Ant's house is a little different than fighting in the middle of the street…"

"Come on now…you're just scared…"

"Gentlemen." The Emerald Knight stood in between them.

Levy laughed, "You two really get along like oil and vinegar, huh?"

"Yes." The Emerald Knight answered for them.

"It's because he's a jerk." Natsu looked away.

"Pfft, you're a way bigger jerk than I am." Gray looked the other way.

"I'm glad I don't have an archrival who I don't get along with." Happy said as he flew in the air.

"Don't speak so soon…" The Emerald Knight muttered.

"Yeah, Happy, you never know when someone will try to steal all your fish." Levy said.

Happy gasped, "Ant, you wouldn't take all my fish, would you?"

"What practical use would I have for fish?" The Emerald Knight asked.

Levy sighed as she accidentally stepped in a crack. She then looked up and saw a booth with a fortune teller, grabbing the Emerald Knight's hand, "We should go get our fortune's read!"

The Emerald Knight blushed, "We should?"

"Nah, that stuff is usually just a bunch of crap…it'll be a waste…" Gray said.

"Yeah…I'd rather fight someone…" Natsu said.

"Let's go!" For a tiny person, she had quite the strong pull as she dragged the Emerald Knight over to the booth.

An old lady sat at a little booth, wearing a purple cloak that obscured all of her features, "Welcome, young ones." She said, "Would you like to hear what the future has in store for you?"

"Alright, fine…just get it over with." Gray said.

"Five hundred jewel." The fortune teller said, "Then, just by grasping your hand, I will be able to tell your future."

"Fine…" Gray forked over the cash.

"Hmm…" The woman grabbed Gray's hand, "Be wary of water…and women…that is all…"

Gray looked unnerved, "What? But I run into those two things all the time! What the hell?"

Natsu and the Emerald Knight exchanged a glance, "Alright, sucker, my turn." Natsu said.

"Let's do ours together Natsu!" Happy said.

The old lady grabbed Natsu and Happy's hands, "You will soon have to share the spotlight with another…"

"What? I don't get it." Natsu said.

"I told ya." Gray said, "My fortune basically told me to never drink again or interact with women…so…"

"What about you, sir?" The fortune teller looked at the Emerald Knight.

The Emerald Knight paid and held his gauntlet out, "Hmm…" The fortune teller mused for a moment, "He will return."

The Emerald Knight's eyes shrunk. There was most likely only one _he_ that she was talking about.

Gray rolled his eyes, having a completely opposite response, "That one's even vaguer than mine…"

"Now I'm kind of scared…but…we did pay for it…" Levy slowly stuck out her tiny hand.

The fortune teller took her hand, "Oh, I see. Your fruits will start out very sour, and only time will able to ripen them into their sweet prime. Have patience, young one."

"Levy grows fruit?" Happy asked, "I didn't know you had a garden."

"She doesn't." Gray said.

Levy gave a little nod, looking bewildered, "Uh…thank you ma'am…" Her mind was running through all the bad things in her life that could turn good, and really, there were too many things to count. _It has to be something else then…all these small little misfortunes aren't notable enough to make a big impact…are they?_ As they started walking back, she sighed, "I should have known that was a bad idea…"

"Yeah, right? Now I'm just confused." Natsu said.

"Whatever, let's just go back to the guild…" Gray said.

* * *

The sun was setting as the Emerald Knight kept training. He was in his simple tunic and pants, swinging his lance around, as electricity charged through it. He had been doing this for hours, and was beginning to lose his breath.

 _On second thought…perhaps I should train in my armor…if I train like this…my movements will be faster…but it will unrealistically represent how my speed will fare in a real battle._ He sat down crossed-legged and closed his eyes, trying to cool down a bit. _Perhaps I should learn another spell to aid me in battle…or…I should strengthen my already existing spells…so they're either more powerful, or they don't consume as much magic energy. I cannot just rely on Lance Fader for everything. It worked out great against Sherry because I could overwhelm her physically. Some of my opponents may be different. They may have raw strength behind their magic, so a five-second Lance Fader surprise won't do them in, and I would be defeated._

He sighed again, he was done with learning how to requip. Not only was he bad at picking up the concept, not even able to requip a weapon, but he had all but severed most of his ties with Erza. After seeing what she could become like on Galuna Island, he wanted nothing more but to stay away from her. He felt a chill, eventually going inside to put his armor on and head to the guildhall in the middle of the night, knowing that one person would be there.

Lucky for him, Cana's loud mouth was nowhere to be seen, it was just Mirajane tidying things up. And sure enough, she was practically sleep walking. He caught her shoulder before she could fall forward, "Be careful." He said.

She smiled and blushed, "Oh, thank you Ant." She said sweetly, a smile on her face, "What wonderful timing!"

Usually when people said his name, there was a hint of humor to it, or a jarring feeling in his chest since, really, that wasn't his name. However, when Mirajane spoke his name, with the sweet inflection of her voice and the kindness of her heart, it didn't sting at all.

"I should've known that you've been working yourself to death here…you should really go home at your earliest opportunity…"

"I will soon…." She rubbed one of her eyes, looking back up at him, "I'm just…more of a morning person…"

"Yes, I know what that's like." He smiled, looking back at the exit, he did just arrive, but he didn't necessarily want to keep Mirajane there longer than she had to be, "Just promise me that you'll take care of yourself."

Mirajane blushed a bit, suppressing a memory of herself saying the same exact thing years ago, "I will. Elfman takes good care of me anyway when I get home, so there's no need to worry about me too much!"

The Emerald Knight nodded, "Goodnight Mirajane." He went to make his exit.

"Goodnight Ant!" She waved, almost wishing he stayed with her as she looked around at the primarily empty guildhall. No one would have noticed anything that night, not even Cana. She shook her head, figuring her lack of sleep was making her a little kooky as she closed up the guild for the night.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you like these low-key chapters because there's another one up next! Let me know what you think of this so far, and thank you for reading!


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Here's chapter twenty! (Yay!) There was also a question that was brought to my attention that I'd figure I'd answer here in order to clear the air a bit.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer II:** This is not a harem

* * *

The Emerald Knight wandered downstairs after Levy told him about the small library in the basement. While he expected a small room with a few books, he was greeted with thousands of books that seemed to reach the infinite ceiling, support beams here and there only offered more books. This was even more surprising to him since Levy told him she read all the books there. There was a table in the center of the room, with a red rug underneath it and a lamp, a few wooden chairs surrounding the table.

Up on a ladder sorting through the bookshelves was none other than Mirajane. She turned and smiled as he walked in, "So I see you found the library."

"Wow…" He swallowed hard, "This is quite impressive…"

"Levy and Laki did the most work down here. I just organize it now and then."

He kept looking around, astonished at the sheer might of the collection of books in the library, "That reminds me…" He said, "I'll have to return those books you've given me…they're most likely long overdue…"

"Keep them." She giggled a bit, "I don't need them anymore. Really."

"But wouldn't other people want to read them?"

"Maybe. In that case, you can bring them here, and I'll put them out. I had all those books cluttering my house, maybe putting them in our library would make a good home for them."

"Alright, then I'll return them here."

Mirajane hopped off of the ladder and landed, her bright eyes looking around, "What's next?" She asked herself as she approached a stack of books.

"They sure have you do a lot of tasks around here."

"Mmm hmm, the Master makes sure to keep me busy."

"That's because you always work your hardest." He didn't miss a beat. But something she said caused him to stop thinking altogether. The Master. It reminded him of the punishment he got a few days ago. _That_ wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be, but it was no picnic either, and it further highlighted all the troubles he went through just to complete the stolen S-Class quest. He sat at the table, now looking distraught.

"Are you alright?" Mirajane asked nervously, her color fading as she saw how worried he was.

"Yes." He said slowly, "I'm alright…it's just…the S-Class quest…"

"Was it that bad?"

"No, no, it was fine…"

"You can tell me something if you need to." She gave a sweet smile, "I promise I won't go blabbing off your feelings to the whole guild."

"Well…the mission didn't bother me…nor did my punishment…it…it was getting caught, I should say. Or _how_ I was caught. I feel like if you caught us…you would have informed us that what we did was wrong, maybe reprimand us a little, but you would have at least been gentle about it…"

"It was Erza?"

He nodded.

"I know she really seems harsh…but…she was just as scared as you were. If not more scared. Erza's emotional range has been…different ever since she arrived here. She doesn't respond to certain situations as most people would."

"I'm aware of that." He said, "I'll just have to be more careful for next time…"

"I'm sure that won't be a problem for someone like you." She beamed.

A book shifted on the shelf that Mirajane had dealt with, a paper flew down and landed on the table before them. Mirajane was organizing the books in her arms and didn't bother looking.

The Emerald Knight looked at the picture before him, "Is…is this…what the guild was like several years back?"

She peered up, "Oh, look at that." She smiled, "It is!" She put the books down and walked over behind him, smiling, "Isn't that sweet? I forgot all about that painting."

"Since when did Natsu have a blue dragon?"

"That's Happy!"

"…it is?"

"Well, the artist's interpretation, at least. See, Natsu at the time was hoping Happy would be a dragon, but…he was a cat instead."

"…oh…I…I see…" The Emerald Knight said slowly, in reality not understanding at all.

She giggled a bit, "I'll explain." She sat down across from him, "One day when Natsu was little, he went outside in the woods and stumbled across an egg. Well, thinking it was a dragon's egg, he took it and tried to hatch it with my little sister. They were adorable, really, she'd say she was the mother and he was the father, and the egg was their baby. It was a case of puppy-love. They built a little house together outside and lived in it together with their egg, she even made him dinner, if I remember correctly."

"Your…sister…?" He asked slowly, then he pointed at a girl with white hair wearing revealing gothic attire, "Is that her?"

She giggled a bit, "Nope, that was me."

"That…that was _you?_ " He asked.

"Mmm hmm." She said, then she pointed to another little white haired girl in a pink dress, " _That's_ my little sister. And there's Elf." She pointed to a boy with slightly longer hair than Elfman, wearing a blue tuxedo and a red bow tie.

" _That's_ Elfman?" The Emerald Knight looked bewildered. Puberty must have been an interesting time for the Strauss family.

She laughed, "Mmm hmm. He hasn't changed much, really."

 _But he's changed a lot!_ "And your sister…what is her name?"

"Lisanna."

He kept looking at Mirajane's picture, then back at the woman sitting in front of him, his face gradually getting redder and redder. He felt his cheek, feeling the heat coming off of it, "So…so…" He tried to change the subject, "So…Happy was hatched from an egg…how…how unusual…"

Mirajane blushed a bit as well, giggling, "I'm so glad you settled into the guild so well." She leaned in a bit.

The Emerald Knight smiled, "I have to say, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be half as knowledgeable about this guild as I am now."

"Well, you know I'm always willing to help you with anything. No matter what."

"I appreciate it greatly." He stood up, motivated by her comments, "I should return to my abode and give back the books you lent me, so I can at least attempt to help you."

"You can wait a bit." She said, "I really think there's something the two of us need to talk about, while we're alone."

His cheeks went pink, he was facing the exit, so she couldn't see as of yet, "Is that so?"

Someone stumbled downstairs, "Ant, I was looking for you." Cana looked back and forth at them, seeing the color on their cheeks, "Sorry, was I interrupting something?"

"No, what did you need?" Mirajane asked sweetly.

"I…just wanted to talk to Ant." Cana said, "Privately."

"Oh…um…okay." She stood up, "I'll go upstairs then." She said as she went upstairs.

Cana walked into the library and sat where Mirajane was sitting, "We need to talk, buddy."

Their eyes met, "I'm a little surprised…I figured libraries would be your worst enemy…"

She giggled a bit, "I don't mind them. They're nice and quiet, sometimes I need that." She sat up a bit, "Anyway. You and Mira."

He blushed, "Why are you saying it like that?"

"Cause I know you like her. And she's all over you too. But there's someone else photobombing this pretty picture you two painted here."

He narrowed his eyes, "Fine, I'll entertain this little spectacle of yours…who is this other person?"

"None other than mister big-shot-best-in-the-guild himself. Mira's all over him. She has been for years. He's been giving her the cold shoulder, so she's been looking elsewhere to kinda…I don't know, entertain herself, you could say. Force herself to move on."

"A name would be helpful."

"Laxus. The Master's grandson? Cocky asshole?"

"That man is nothing but an arrogant brute."

She shrugged, "She's not gonna tell you herself, but yeah, she's been hitting on him since they were kids. Then his dad got exiled…and he turned into a sour-puss and started ignoring her. Since then, she's been putting on that fake smile and hoping he comes back. So before she sets anything up with you, only to have it fall apart when Laxus caves in, I thought I'd put a little pause on the whole…relationship starting process."

He looked away though his stubborn blush persisted, "I don't recall myself saying anything about starting a relationship…"

"Well, I talked to Mira, and she wanted to. Really badly. In fact, when you weren't paying attention the other night, she tried to kiss you, but you had turned around already."

He swallowed hard, "How do I know you're not lying?"

"What use would it do to me?" She asked, "Just breaking apart a couple…why? I want to make sure she doesn't break your heart. Cause if she had the choice to choose between you and Laxus, she'd chose him in a heartbeat."

"Right…" He looked down, "Yes…of course…" He looked pretty dejected, "If you'll excuse, I need to go back home…"

"Uh huh. Sorry to break the bad news, sweetie. If you need to talk…I'm always here. Most of the time."

"Goodbye…" He said quietly, exiting.

Cana sighed and took a sip of her drink. Mirajane came back downstairs, "Cana…what happened? Ant wouldn't talk to me…"

"Cause I told him the truth." Cana said.

"….I'm really afraid as to what you mean."

"I told him about Laxus."

Her cheeks reddened.

"Yeah, I figured out about you two as soon as I sobered up enough to remember where that damn stain on the counter is from. You treat it like your unborn child. Isn't it kinda cruel to play with his heart like that? When you already like someone else?"

Her eyes laced with tears, "Why did you do that to me?"

"Because it wasn't fair of you to be using him like that. What if Laxus came around?"

"But he won't…he never will…."

"Not if you stay negative like that." Cana stood up and hugged her, "You have to fix him, Mira, cause I'm pretty sure you're the only person in the guild who gives a damn about him at this point."

She sniffed, "But…Ant was a friend either way…and now he's upset with me…"

"Oh, guys get over stuff like that really quickly. Trust me."

She sniffed again and squeezed Cana. Cana felt Mirajane's nails dig in her back, "…why does his father have to be such an asshole…." She let out a low growl.

"Hey, take it easy…" Cana rubbed her arms, "It'll work out, okay? Promise."

She nodded and shivered, "I want to talk to him…."

"Give him some alone time. He needs it now."

"Okay…" She whimpered, "….I….I'm going to go take a break…make myself some tea…"

"Good idea." Cana said as they left the library together, Cana feeling the strangest sense of joy she had in a long time.

* * *

Erza took a sip from her tea, her fork sliding through a piece of strawberry cake. "Mira, are you sure you're alright?"

Mirajane nodded with a smile, "Of course, why?"

She shook her head, "Nothing, you just seem a bit off."

"I just stayed up late that past few nights." It wasn't necessarily a lie.

Levy closed her book, "Ugh, me too. I keep doing it to myself. Getting stuck in the climax of a book and not being able to finish until two in the morning."

Erza chuckled a bit, "Couldn't you use your Gale Force glasses?"

"Well, that wouldn't be the same…" She said, "It's like…eating plain toast or eating toast with jam. They both get the same thing done, but one is more enjoyable."  
Mirajane couldn't help but laugh given Levy's comparison. Erza too, joined the laughter, the three of them were laughing away for quite a while before a few guild mates returned from their job.

"There Ant, maybe that'll get your debt collector to shut up for a few days…" Natsu said, walking in the guildhall with Happy, the Emerald Knight, and Gray.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "I just wish one day he'll leave me alone forever…"

Mirajane looked up at the Emerald Knight with her big blue eyes, "Ant…could we talk? For just a moment?"

Nervousness clung onto him, "Yes, of course."

She walked over behind the bar and towards the stairwell, where it was quiet. She did her best to hold back tears, but he could see they were there, "I'm so sorry…I just wanted to make it clear I was never trying to use you or anything, I would never do anything so…terrible…I just wasn't used to the attention you gave me and it went to my head." She hugged him and smiled, "I'd…I'd really be honored if you forgave me….and we could be friends…."

He squeezed her back, "Of course. I've learned not to take what Cana says at face value…"

"I hope you understand, it's nothing against you. You're a wonderful man, Ant, you'd make a fantastic boyfriend or husband."

The Emerald Knight's blush deepened to the point where tomatoes would look on in jealousy, he was too flustered to respond to that with words.

She giggled a bit and broke the hug, returning to the counter in a much better mood.

"What was that about?" Levy asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing."

"Nothing, huh?" She smiled, "Sure you don't want to tell me?"

Mirajane giggled, "It's nothing that concerns you."

"Uh huh." She said, then as the Emerald Knight returned, she giggled a bit more, "Hey Ant, will _you_ tell me what that was about?"

The Emerald Knight continued having a flustered look on his face, mumbling something incoherently.

"Now I'm curious…" Gray said.

"Mira probably just showed him the ropes about something, that's all. Relax guys." Natsu swatted a hand.

Happy watched on closely, perhaps one of his biggest theories were actually true, after all this time.

Erza meanwhile, looked a bit peeved that she too, was clueless, "Mirajane. You will tell me at once."

Mirajane stuck her tongue out and pulled on one of her eyelids.

"Mirajane…" She growled.

She just smiled, "What are you going to do about it, Erza? Get me angry and your daily servings of cake will be the last thing you should worry about."

Erza rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink, "I wouldn't be so sure."

"Mmm. Alright, suit yourself."

"So…" Levy furrowed her eyebrows in thought, "Mira and Erza can argue…but if anyone else argues, Erza splits them up…?"

"Yeah, don't bother questioning that. I learned that the hard way from day one." Gray said.

Levy shrugged, then looked at her watch, "Oh, shoot, I told Jet and Droy I'd go on a mission with them so we could be back by tonight." She got up, "I'll see you guys around, kay?".

"Good luck, Levy!" Mirajane waved, "Stay safe."

"She'll probably end up doing most of the work as usual." Natsu said.

"Does that occur regularly?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"I mean…I should give credit to those two guys where it's due but…yeah…kinda…" Gray said.

"Jet's speed magic is really only good for retreating." Erza said, "Whereas Droy's plant magic is…" She was at a loss for words.

"It's not as powerful as her solid script." Mirajane filled in while drying glasses.

"Solid script?" The Emerald Knight asked, "Now that sounds interesting…"

"Yeah, it's pretty awesome…whatever she writes like…happens." Natsu said.

"I recall when she and Cana used to go in missions." Erza said, "When they were younger."

"Yes, those two were so close, before she started drinking." Mirajane said, "Then Levy did solo missions and found Jet and Droy."

"Cana does most of her jobs with Loke now, I think." Gray said.

"Yeah, I haven't seen him in a while now." Natsu said.

"He doesn't seem to like you very much." Erza looked at the Emerald Knight.

"No…" The Emerald Knight said, looking away from the heat of her gaze, "He doesn't."

"Did you take his fish?" Happy asked.

"Happy…people form grudges over things a bit more complicated than fish sometimes…" Natsu said.

Mirajane laughed at that for a while.

Cana's burp resounded in the guild hall, she pounded her chest as there was a silence. "Look, I didn't mean to…" She muttered defensively when people stared.

"I should look into limiting her portions…" Mirajane mused.

The Emerald Knight stood up, "I need to leave." He turned away and left.

"Hmm…that was kinda…" Natsu started.

"Abrupt?" Gray guessed.

"Yeah, that word."

"It's not really that much of a surprise, a knight and a person like Cana don't really mix."

* * *

The Emerald Knight was training outside his house, performing a few complex sword maneuvers with his lance, eventually he dropped down and did a handful of push-ups and sit-ups. After a while of that, he went back to his house to rest for a few moments.

There was a knock on the door, "Yo, it's me." The Emerald Knight heard Cana's voice.

He answered the door, wearing nothing but pants and boots, and holding his lance. A blush spread on his face, "How did you figure out where I live?"

She didn't blush, she just grinned, "Whoa…Ant? I thought this was Jeremy's house…"

He shut the door behind himself, "I was going to train…if you must know…"

"Oh…did…you want company?"

"I usually train in solitude…but…but Natsu has changed that…although most of the time we end up doing more fooling around than just training." He sighed, "My abilities and spells get slightly stronger every day, but…I've been wanting to try something new, and it hasn't really been working…"

"I might be able to help."

He looked at her, their eyes met, "What sort of magic do you use anyway?"

"Card magic." She smiled, "Pretty damn powerful, if I do say so myself."

He nodded. He then sat down beside her and began working on his weights, but eventually he stopped, "It…it can't be true…can it?"

"What? Laxus?" She sat down by a tree, "Believe it or not, he used to be a sweetheart. Then…yeah, he turned into the lovely man you know him as now. See, it's funny, Mira used to be an ornery teenager and he was really sweet. They switched roles, I guess."

He took a deep sigh, lifting his weights in a rushed, angered fashion.

"Hey…" She melted a bit, "Maybe…one day he'll get himself killed and Mira will come back…"

"I would never want that." He said, "That wouldn't be an honorable way to win a person's heart, even if I was interested…"

"Pfft, don't pretend to be uninterested. Mira's hot as fuck, I know, it's like, impossible to be a guy and ignore her. Unless you're Natsu…"

"Who says I'm pretending?"

"Me. And the color of your face when you talk to her for a while."

"That doesn't prove anything."

"Alright, whatever you say…" She snickered, taking out a deck of cards and shuffling them as she sat up.

His grip tightened around his weights. He wanted so badly to punch this woman in the face, but there were a few problems with that. For one, it would fly in the face of his chivalry. For another, she might've had a point. He did feel something ever since he had learned of Mirajane's interest in Laxus. But why should he care? He doesn't like her that way, does he? Who Mirajane likes is her business and no one else's.

Cana started laying out cards, "You like dogs?"

"Dogs?" He asked, "They're neither here nor there…"

"But do you like them? Or are you more of a cat person?"

His mind went back to an earlier time, being curled up with Miranda. She was giving him a heartfelt embrace on a bench, and there was a black cat on her lap. Her black-nailed fingertips gently stroked the cat and he remembered her soft voice caressing his ears with light questions or anecdotes every now and then, "Cat." He said, once he finally escaped his reverie.

She smiled and pulled a few cards from her deck, "Card Magic!" She got up on her knees and threw the cards forward, three cards flew out. One had a cat on it, one had a series of small circles, and one had a heart on it. "Cats!"

A horde of furry felines appeared, all different colors and sizes. They all ran towards the Emerald Knight, rubbing his legs and purring, begging for his attention.

The Emerald Knight looked back at her, "You're going to attack me with a horde of cats?"

She laughed, "I wouldn't call that attacking. I think they want cuddles more than anything else."

His eyes caught a single black cat in the center of the group. They held eye contact for a while, then he gave the black cat a hug, petting the top of its head. It gave a little meow in response.

Cana smiled, one of the cats rubbed up against her legs, she pet it, "They say black cats bring bad luck, but I always thought that was kinda bullshit."

The Emerald Knight kept lightly squeezing the cat. It kept meowing as it got cozy in his arms. Eventually he felt tears sliding down his cheeks. He wasn't going to look back now, he didn't want her to see his tears.

Cana grabbed one of the cards back as she felt her magic drain. As she grabbed the card with the many circles, all the cats disappeared besides the one he was holding.

He closed his eyes, "You might as well let this one go back too…"

"Alright." She took the other two cards and shuffled them back in her deck, "That's my favorite part of my magic…I can also just use the cards like bullets…and read fortunes or find hidden information about people."

His eyes opened again, he brushed his tears away before more would come, giving a slight nod to what she said.

She couldn't see him, but she could feel his sadness, "Did you want to go get a bite to eat somewhere? I'll pay."

He stood up, "That's alright…I need to…" He was about to say 'train', but he was already out here doing that.

"Want me to just leave you the hell alone?"

He sighed, "Forgive my rudeness…"

"It's alright sweetheart." She said as she stood up and put her cards away, "It'll work out, alright?" She smiled, the sun catching her brunette hair.

He nodded, turning and walking towards the entrance of his tiny house, "I might rest…"

"Alright." She pat his shoulder, "See you around."

* * *

 **A/N:** Kinda short, but I'm really excited to jump into the next arc :) So who is this Miranda girl and how is she connected to the Emerald Knight? Phantom Lord will provide some answers. Let me know what you thought of that with a review! Thanks for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** Here's chapter twenty one! And a little footnote: I watched the dubbed anime before I read all the manga, so when I heard Black Steel Gajeel, I just thought the name fit him a little better than Kurogane Gajeel. And the same thing for Juvia, in the manga/original anime, she speaks in third person, but I like her better in first person, it almost makes her character a bit more serious. I hope you like this chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"That sure was a fun job, wasn't it, happy?" Natsu snickered, the five of them were on their way back to the guild, walking through the streets of Magnolia.

"Aye!" Happy said.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "Yes…but I planned to do the job myself…"

"What, you can't do that, we're a team now! We do everything together! I thought you knew this by now." Natsu said.

"But now I have to split the money four ways…my debt collector won't be happy."

"Five ways!" Happy raised a hand.

"…I'm pretty sure you share your savings with Natsu…"

Erza chuckled a bit, "Let's just check off the job as done at the guild and worry about the profits once we get inside." She said, looking up at the guild from a distance. She slowed down a bit until she came to a complete stop, "What….." She rubbed only one of her eyes, blinking a few times, "Why does it look like that…?"

"What do you mean?" The Emerald Knight looked up, then his eyes shrunk.

"Holy crap…" Gray said.

The Fairy Tail guildhall was completely demolished. Iron clubs shot out of the place as far as the eye could see.

"What happened to our guild?" Natsu snapped, "Who…" He clenched his fists, "Who did this…"

"It was Phantom…" They heard a soft voice and turned to see Mirajane, teary eyed, "They…" She sniffed, "Had the element of surprise…on their side…"

"Element of surprise?" The Emerald Knight asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Mirajane lead them inside, a pathway to the basement was the only route they could take. It was next to the library, but by peeking through the doorway, they could see that was safe too. "They attacked when no one was at the guild last night…" She wiped some tears away, "I knew I should have started staying later…"

"Don't say that, you work hard as it is."

"Hey, Erza and those guys are back." Wakaba said, having a beer with Macao.

"Did you see what they did to the guild hall?" Macao asked.

"Hey there…" Makarov waved lazily as he kept drinking from his mug, "Welcome back…" His cheeks were a little flushed, he was clearly drunk out of his mind.

Erza gave a disappointed sigh. She had seen the Master like this before when they had faced hardships, "Thank you, Master…it's…good to see you again."  
"Are…are you drunk?" Natsu asked.

Makarov chuckled lazily, not responding otherwise.

"Come on old man! Aren't you mad about what happened to the guild?"

"Oh…oh yeah…I'm so mad…I could…I could smack 'em!" He stretched his hand out and slapped Mirajane's behind. The Emerald Knight averted his eyes.

Mirajane's eyes hardened, "Master!" She stepped back out of his way.

"Master, you have to realize the situation we're in." Erza said, "This is no time for fooling around."

"The guild's in ruins!" Natsu yelled.

"Pipe down." Makarov said, "It's nothing to make a fuss over…"

"Nothing to make a fuss over?" Gray repeated, shocked.

"If this is the worst Phantom can do, I ain't worried." Makarov took another swig, "What pride can possibly be won in attacking an empty guildhall?"

Natsu seethed with rage, "I won't rest until they all pay!"

"Just ignore them, Natsu…"

"But I can't do that!"

"Enough. I will hear no more of this, we will just take jobs down here until the upstairs is repaired."

"Who's thinking about taking jobs at a time like this?" Natsu screamed.

"Leave it alone Natsu, now get the hell outta my way, I gotta take a leak." Makarov ran off.

Natsu clenched his fists, "How can he just pretend nothing happened?"

"Natsu, you know the Master is just as angry as you are about all of this…" Mirajane wiped a few more tears away as her lower lip quivered, "You can't forget about the Inter-Guild Conflict Ban Treaty…it's putting the Master in a very upsetting position…"

"But they started it!"

"I know…" She sniffed, "But we can't fight another guild, it would be breaking the law."

"If that's how the Master feels, then we have no choice but to listen." Erza said eventually.

* * *

The Emerald Knight was out training again, panting heavily from the sheer amount of time he was outside, the moon was slowly creeping its way up. "Swords of Retribution!" He held his lance up, the dozen plasma swords cut down a few of the trees around him. He panted a bit more, figuring that was enough for one night, he returned to his house. Not long after that there were several knocks on the door. When he answered it, his entire team was on the other end waiting for him.

"What…what are you guys doing here?" He asked.

"Yay! Sleepover!" Natsu and Happy said as they ran in.

"That doesn't answer my question!"

"Well, since Phantom Lord has attacked the guildhall, it stands to reason that they might know where some of us live, so Mira told us that there'd be safety in numbers." Gray said.

"We also figured your house was quite isolated from the others. Phantom would really have to try to find it." Erza said as she started cleaning off the kitchen table.

"Well…alright…my house is small but…I hope it's to your liking…" The Emerald Knight conceded.

Natsu sat at the table in a huff, "Damn…I can't believe gramps is too scared to attack Phantom…"

"I mean, they do have a Wizard Saint on their side." Gray said.

"Wizard Saint?" The Emerald Knight asked, "What's that?"

Erza requipped into a set of dark red pajamas, "It's a title granted to the ten greatest wizards on the continent by the head of the council."

"The Phantom Lord's master, Jose is a Wizard Saint." Happy said.

"But so is Makarov!" Natsu said, "We have a fighting chance!"

"But the Master and Mira made it pretty obvious what'll happen if we do go to war." Gray said, "It's for the safety of Magnolia."

Erza sighed as she looked out the window, "It will be unavoidable." She watched clouds cover the bright stars, making the night sky even darker, "Conflict between our guilds at this point is unavoidable. Master Jose and Makarov have about equal magic power, therefore the two Wizard Saints have balanced power. But…Phantom Lord also has the Element Four….four very powerful wizards in their team…and they have an ace as well…known as Black Steel Gajeel. He's the man who most likely instigated the attack on the guild…he's their iron dragon slayer."

"Iron dragon slayer?" The Emerald Knight repeated, "Wow…I…I had thought Natsu was the only one…so…I wonder if he eats iron just like how Natsu eats fire…"

Natsu got up in a huff, "I need to eat something! Get some energy for these Phantom jerks!" He started rummaging around the Emerald Knight's cabinets.

"Hey! Natsu!" The Emerald Knight followed after him like an annoyed parent, "I'll make it for you, just get out of my things!"

Erza and Gray were meanwhile trying to get ready to go to sleep in the adjacent living room while the Emerald Knight was trying to catch Happy and Natsu. Something on the desk caught Erza's eye. It was a picture of a woman in gothic clothing, having pale skin and a small smile, and black hair down her back. A picture of a woman like this didn't really belong with who she visualized as the Emerald Knight.

"You too, huh?" Gray asked from behind her, "I tried to ask Ant who that chick was, but he wouldn't tell me."

She picked up the photo to look closer, "She looks about the same age as him, but she also looks quite different. Perhaps a lover?" She looked for other clues on his desk, "He's certainly quiet about the other half of his life."

Gray sneaked a peek in one of the drawers, "Holy crap, nothing but letters…they must communicate by mail…"

She picked up a few of them, her eyes darting back to where the Emerald Knight and Natsu were fighting, then back to the letter. She looked at the stamp, "This was dated months ago…" She mused, looking at all the others, "And they're all addressed to her. None of them are from her." She opened one up and skimmed it, her eyes darting back occasionally, "I don't think he actually sends these…"

"But…that doesn't make sense…"

"My dear Miranda….." She looked at the headings of a few before he tucked them back in the envelope and opened another, "Darling Miranda….To Miranda….well, really that doesn't offer too many answers, but I'm inclined to believe they're lovers. But…." She paused, "Why doesn't he mention her? And where is she?"

Gray stiffened as he heard the other three start to make their way in, "I doubt there's a happy ending to it."

She nodded and snatched the letters in his hands and stuffed them in the desk, shutting the drawer with her knee and looking back up at Gray, a fierce look on her face, "As I said before, spicy food is better than minty food because it fills you with warmth, that's something you can't get from minty foods."

Gray smiled, "But minty foods make you feel cool, that's not something you can get from spicy foods."

The Emerald Knight sighed, "Why don't we all just go to bed…?"

"I don't wanna…" Natsu said.

"Please?"

"There's one problem with your idea, Ant." Erza crossed her arms, "Hygiene. When was the last time you three showered?"

The Emerald Knight rolled his weary eyes, "Then I'll go shower."

"But I want a nice hot shower!" Natsu pleaded.

"And I want a cool one." Gray said.

"Enough! It's my shower and I'm going to use it first!" The Emerald Knight left the room.

"Gray, you should take one last." Erza said, "That way the water will be cold." She laid back on the Emerald Knight's bed.

"Sounds fair to me." Gray said. Once they all got showered, they went to bed.

* * *

A man was sitting at a table in a poorly-lit, dark guildhall, eating straight-up iron. He had long black hair going down his back, beady red eyes, tan skin, a black sleeveless tunic, tan pants, black boots, and brown studded gloves. There were studs all over the man, on his arms, his nose, they even substituted his eyebrows, there was also a black, wing-like ornament on his right shoulder.

"Gajeel, I heard you attacked those pathetic Fairy Tail wizards!" One of his guild mates laughed, "They must be crying to their mommies now! Wah, the big scary iron monster blew up my guild! How pathetic, right?"

Gajeel's right hand turned into an iron club, very reminiscent of the ones used to destroy the Fairy Tail guildhall. He punched the man back with his club, sending him sailing with a moderate amount of blood on the floor now, "How many times do I have to tell you not to bother me when I'm eating?" He said in a gruff, gravelly voice as he stood up, "I don't see what the big deal is. Fairy Tail was always the wimpier guild when they were put next to us. It's about time we actually do something about it."

"So it has begun." A low-pitched, quiet and creepy voice said, as a man in the shadows approached him from behind, "Excellent work, Gajeel…"

"No problem, Master." Gajeel grinned, "But those pieces of garbage would be too scared to attack us on that alone. That's why I left them another present!" He laughed.

"Very good." The Phantom Lord guild master chuckled darkly, "Just make sure you don't murder the knight, even by accident."

* * *

There was quite a commotion in the south park of Magnolia, people were terrified, looking at a large tree, frozen in fear.

Mirajane couldn't stop sobbing, Erza stood in front of her before they pushed into the crowd to see what they were surrounding, "Mirajane, what happened?" Erza asked.

"It's my fault…I should have sent a search when they didn't come back last night…but I forgot….."

Erza was confused, but then she remembered Levy waving to them the previous night, _"Oh, shoot, I told Jet and Droy I'd go on a mission with them so we could be back by tonight. I'll see you guys around, kay?"_

Erza pushed through the crowd with the others, "Move out of the way! We're part of their guild, move!" She managed to survive the crowd of people, then gasped at what she saw, shivering.

Natsu looked even more enraged than he did on the previous day, so many veins contorted on his forehead.

On the tree were the three members of Shadow Gear, bloodied and unconscious. Levy seemed to look as if she had taken the worst of it, with Phantom Lord's emblem on her stomach. Iron bars had their wrists pinned up to the tree, fixing them in place, hanging like they were chop meat.

"Levy…" The Emerald Knight shook with a mixture of fear and rage.

"Jet…" Gray said, "Droy…"

Erza's face was dark with hate, "They will pay…" She let out a low growl, clenching her fists, "They will pay with their blood…."

Makarov walked onto the scene, everyone moved out of the way for him, not being stupid enough to block his path. "I can look the other way when they ruin our guildhall. But no father can watch the blood of his children being spilt and be silent!" He roared, his tiny wooden staff snapping in two, "This means war!"

* * *

Meanwhile, an opposite reaction was happening at the Phantom Lord guildhall, there was a celebration, if anything.

"Ha, ha, ha, that's great!" One of the guild mates took a swig of his drink.

"The Fairy Trash building is in pieces!" Another said.

"Gajeel really did a number on that!" A third said, "Not only that, but he also left three of the fairies out to die!" They all laughed.

"But who was the knight that Master Jose was talking about?" The first guild mate asked.

"You know…I have no idea. Master wants them alive thought." The second one said.

"That's an odd request from him…since when do we leave people alive?" The third wondered.

"Who cares?" Their drinks clicked, "Let's toast to our first little victory!"

"I bet those fairies are all terrified of us now!" The first guild mate said.

"Yeah, I can't wait to go on a job now, now that we practically own the town!" The second guild mate got up and headed for the exit.

The door blew up in a large display of flames, knocking the guy out cold.

Natsu growled as the smoke cleared, it seemed the rest of his guild was behind him.

"It's Fairy Tail's turn!" Makarov roared, charging in with the rest of them.

"What?" A Phantom Lord member asked, only to be obliterated by Natsu's flames.

Gray came in next, shattered people away with his ice attacks.

Elfman's arm turned into an arm of a demon, and he began to viciously attack all those in front of him. Cana was using her card magic, Loke was using his ring magic, Macao was using his purple flames, Wakaba was using smoke magic, and there were hundreds of other odd attacks littering the guildhall turned battlefield.

"Concentrate your attacks on their master!" A Phantom Lord wizard shouted, they all looked at Makarov.

This was not a smart move, however, as Makarov grew ten times in size and he started crushing the wizards under his hands and feet.

"It's a monster!" One of the Phantom wizards screamed in fear.

"And you laid a hand on this monster's children!" Makarov boomed in his low voice, "So don't you dare try to hide behind human law to save yourselves!"

"Holy crap, he's unstoppable!" One of the Phantom wizards quivered.

"His wizards aren't too bad either…" A second wizard said.

"They're tearing us apart!" A third said.

"Jose!" Makarov roared, "Show yourself now!"

"They're all hiding…" Erza growled as blood dripped from her sword, "The Element for, the Master, Gajeel…why?"

It turned out that Gajeel was waiting up in the rafters for something, it seemed, "So that's Titania Erza?" He asked, "But Laxus and Mystogan aren't here? Hmm, they underestimate us." He grinned, "Still, Master Jose's plan is going off without a hitch. For pieces of garbage, they sure know how to stage a good fight."

* * *

The Emerald Knight sat in the infirmary with Team Shadow Gear. As of now, they were being patched up, but it looked as if it would take a while for them to get back to their original strength. The Emerald Knight growled with rage, Levy especially was a good friend to him, and to have these fools from Phantom Lord butt in where they shouldn't belong did more than just slightly irritate him. He put a hand on his lance, they were going to pay dearly for this.

He walked down the streets of Magnolia, alarmed when he noticed that explosion were already coming from the Phantom Lord guildhall, "I'm late to the battle? What an embarrassment I am!" He ran a bit quicker, or rather, as quickly as his armor would allow him to. A rain began to cover the area, it started off light but began picking up speed very quickly.

"Steady and gentle." A deep and smooth female voice said as a woman walked by, "I am the rain-maker. Steady and gentle." The first thing that filled the Emerald Knight's mind was the color blue, as that was the primary color she donned. A dark blue jacket tightly framed her figure, with golden buttons and a black belt. She wore a navy blue wrap around her shoulders and neck, encompassed by white fur trim. In the center of her chest was a white stuffed ghost, pinned to her coat. It was small and looked like it was handstitched, with a small pair of eyes and creepy smile. Her skin was porcelain smooth, the palest shade the Emerald Knight had ever seen on a person. Her big, heavy looking eyes were dark blue, like the sea, framed by thick and perfect lashes. On top of her blue locks of hair, wrapped around her neck in a single curl laid a hat, a simple navy cylindrical cap. Dark boots covered what he could see of her legs. She clutched a pink parasol over her head, protecting her from the rain.

The Emerald Knight's eyes hardened, he drew his lance, "So you're causing all of this rain?"

Her stone cold eyes passed by his question entirely, "Your name."

"I think I should be asking you that question."

She blinked, then in one heartbeat, she pivoted on the ball of her foot and started walking off, "It's been fun. Steady and gentle."

The Emerald Knight narrowed his eyes. _As long as she takes the rain with her…_

"Non, non, non…" A voice came from the ground, "Non, non, non…" The ground near the duo began to fold upward, "Non, non, non, non, non, non, non…" A man popped out of the earth. He was tiny, slim man with spiky green hair and a small green mustache. He wore a monocle, a brown suit, and a tattered dark cape linking his arms together. He had no feet to speak of at the moment, as his lower half was melded into the ground, giving him a phantasmal appearance "Bonjour!" He greeted, quivering erratically.

The Emerald Knight shuddered, getting his shield out next. He had seen some things in his day but these two were absolutely appalling. To say that these two had nothing to do with Phantom Lord was to say the grass isn't green.

"Ah, Juvia…you should know better than to abandon your work!"

"My work?" She asked, turning back to look at the Emerald Knight. She batted her lashes, "Well…I suppose he _is_ a knight…"

"This monsieur is our esteemed knight, at long last!"

Juvia turned all the way around, "Thank you, Monsieur Sol."

"What?" The Emerald Knight asked. This was news to him, and unsettling news at that. _What in blazes do they want me for?_

"Forgive my rudeness." Sol gave a hungry grin at the Emerald Knight, "I am Sol. You may call me Monsieur Sol. We are from the superior guild, Phantom Lord."

"And I am Juvia." Juvia said, "The rain woman of Element Four."

The Emerald Knight growled, "So you're the ones who attacked Levy?" He ran at them with his lance out.

"Non, non, non…" Sol said, "You are mistaken. That was the work of Monsieur Gajeel, the destruction of your guild and your friends was his work. Though, he did have the blessing of our guild." He let out a sinister cackle.

"Die, knave!" The Emerald Knight reared back his lance, as electricity crackled off of it.

Juvia held a hand up. A bubble of water appeared, completely surrounding the Emerald Knight. "Water Lock." Juvia said simply, her voice emotionless as ever.

The Emerald Knight gasped and coughed up water, trying to wrestle his way out of the water bubble.

"Tres bien!" Sol cheered.

"Panic is unwise." Juvia said, "I'll ensure your life. After all, it is my duty to bring you back alive."

"Victoire!" Sol laughed as the Emerald Knight slowly lost his consciousness.

* * *

 **A/N:** Fin! ;) Any thoughts or opinions? Let me know with a review! Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it!


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** Here's chapter twenty two! Finally breaking down and revealing some of the Emerald Knight's backstory! Hope you like it! :)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"Beast Arm!" Elfman raised his arm up high, it was cloaked in a purple fog, as his arm turned into the arm of a monster, he began swatting away Phantom members left and right.

"It's a takeover!" One of the Phantom members said.

"That's a thing?" Another member asked.

"Hell yeah it is." A third said, "He takes the beasts he defeats and integrates them into his arm! Beast-arm Elfman!"

"Erza." Makarov looked at her, like a general looking at his second-in-command, "You handle things here. I suspect Jose is somewhere on the upper levels. I'm going to see if he's breathing, and if he is, I'm going to put a stop to it!"

"Yes, Master." Erza nodded, keeping her eyes peeled for the more challenging members of Phantom, knowing they were all full of tricks. "Be careful."

Gajeel chuckled darkly, "So now that their Master left, I might as well see how much fun I can have!" He jumped from the upper rafters. He then lashed out his iron club, knocking out Fairy Tail members and Phantom Lord members alike.

"Nab! Warren!" Alzack cried out.

"What's with this guy? He's taking out his own members…" Wakaba said.

"Come on, you trash! The iron-dragon slayer is hungry for a little action here!" Gajeel taunted.

"Even if I'm trash, I'm still a man!" Elfman ran over and went head-to-head with him, every time Gajeel used an iron club, Elfman blocked it with his oversized arm.

Gajeel snickered and lashed a foot out, it too turning into an iron club, but Elfman caught that as well, "Hmm, you're not half bad…"

"Of course not, I'm a real man!"

"Oh yeah, mister manly-man, then what about this!" Gajeel tried to get him with a right hook, but he took out more of his own members than he did striking Elfman.

"What the hell are you doing?" Elfman asked, "You're attacking your own people!"

"Cause I knew it'd distract you!" Gajeel punched him in the face with his iron club, blood exploded everywhere and Elfman fell back.

Natsu replaced him in battle, punching Gajeel in the face with a flaming fist, "Well guess what? I'm your opponent now! I'm Fairy Tail's dragon slayer!" Gajeel fell back, a few small burn marks on his face.

There was a small silence, people were shocked that Gajeel was challenged so hastily.

"Hey, Natsu, you're in the way of my man to man battle!" Elfman snapped as he stood up, spitting blood to the side.

"Go fight someone else!" Natsu frowned.

Gajeel snickered as they were arguing, he bashed Natsu's face with his iron club, sending him flying.

Erza's eyes darted around as she watched the two, then she gasped as Natsu was hit, "Natsu, you idiot, be more careful!"

Natsu growled, catching another iron club headed his way, "You're jerk that hurt Levy and the guys…" He burned the club and bent it slightly, "I won't be satisfied until I burn you to ashes!" He pulled the iron club and threw Gajeel against the wall.

Gajeel grunted as he smashed into the wall, "You little shit!" He growled and ran at him once more, lashing out two iron clubs.

Natsu dodged both of them and punched Gajeel in the face with his flaming fist again, it seemed he had the edge for now.

Erza took a sigh of relief, "I should have expected Natsu's hot headed anger to go into overdrive…"

Gajeel hooked him to the bottom of the rafters by letting out tiny iron hooks at the bottom of his feet so he could hang upside down from the them, "Is that all you got, Salamander?"

"Pfft, trust me pal, I'm just getting warmed up." Natsu said.

The entire guildhall began to shake tremendously, crashing noises could be heard, as the ground continued to shake uncontrollably.

"What the hell is that?" A Phantom member asked.

"Is it an earthquake?" Another asked.

Gray snickered, "This doesn't look good…for you guys…"

"But…but what's happening?" A Phantom member asked.

"The wrath of a giant…" Erza gave a relieved smile, "Our Master…"

"Master Makarov!" Elfman said, "He's the manliest man to ever exist!"

Meanwhile Makarov stormed the upper floors, seeing Jose sitting on a throne of sorts, "Jose!" He prefaced, "What do you think you're doing to my children?"

Jose chuckled in an eerie, creepy, quiet voice. He had dark red hair that reached his shoulders, as well as a red moustache, dark lips, a large purple coat over his simple tunic, a purple witch's hat, a split skirt with long purple socks, and purple pointed shoes. Near the collar of his tunic was the blue medallion that was both adorned on Makarov's outfit and in Siegrain's possession, indicating that he was a Wizard Saint. "Master Makarov, it's been a long time. Easily six years since I last saw you at an official meeting. But, what can I say? I can't exactly hold my liquor as well as the rest of you…"

"I'm not here for small talk, Jose!" Makarov swatted his giant fist at Jose, but it only destroyed the room around the two masters, Jose was unharmed, and static, at a closer glance.

"You're a thought projection?" Makarov asked as Jose laughed, "You coward, I should have known that you'd scamper away with your tail between your legs once you saw that we were on the attack."

"A battle between two Wizard Saints would be catastrophic, no?" Jose asked, "That's why for today I simple wish for a much more strategical victory."

"Tell me where you are right now! Why won't you face me like a man?"

Jose pulled another figure into his thought projection, it was the Emerald Knight, without his armor and unconscious.

"The Emerald Knight?" Makarov gasped, "What? How do you have him?"

A man teleported right behind Makarov. He was very large and burly, with dark skin, a yellow tunic, navy blue pants, black shoes, a large green trench-coat, a little green top hat, a blindfold, and a red necklace with a skull at the center.

Makarov gasped and looked back. _Damn it, I didn't even feel his presence!_

"I'm…I'm…" The large man prefaced in a deep voice, "So sad!" He started crying, blasting Makarov with an intense gust of wind out of both of his big hands. Makarov screamed and fell back.

Jose chuckled as Makarov yelled in agony, "Oh, don't you worry Makarov, I wouldn't dare dream of hurting your esteemed Emerald Knight. I'm afraid our client doesn't want his prize returned in a body bag."

Makarov lifting his hands out, trying to attack something, anything around him, but the effects of the large man's magic was still carrying out. Makarov felt all of his magic power fading away.

"You're kidding, right? You don't anything about the Emerald Knight? Does his name not ring a bell for you?" Jose asked, "Well, it matters not anymore. He is no longer under your…ownership…"

"This is too sad to bear!" The large man sobbed as Makarov was launched back through the floor to the ground level where everyone else was, "Much too sad! Today a great wizard among us is lost!"

"What the hell just hit the ground?" Gray asked, looking back at the smoke as it cleared.

Erza ran forward, her voice croaked out in a squeak, almost sounding like a little girl, "….Master…?"

Makarov coughed, he was now a sickly green color, "My…my magic power…" He tried to get up, but he collapsed on the ground.

"Aria's magic drain spell is a special sort." Jose noted from above, "It is capable of making magic disappear into thin air. I'd say this is a total victory for us…"

"Gramps!" Natsu screamed.

"Pfft, is the fun over already?" Gajeel asked from the rafters.

"Master…" Erza swallowed hard as she ran over, her eyes still dry of tears as she clutched onto him carefully, "Just hang in there, alright? We won't let you die on us!"

"Damn, I'm not sensing any sort of magic power coming from the Master!" Macao said.

"No way, that makes him just a regular old man now…" Elfman said.

"What could have happened up there?" Alzack asked, "Who could have overpowered the Master?"

"We can beat them now!" The Phantom members looked hungry for revenge, "This cuts their strength by half!"

Erza growled, her mind too filled with anger to shed tears, _This is bad. Forget our power, with our morale this low, we're practically asking for defeat._ She held a hand out over her chest, pointing towards the guild, "Retreat!" She cried, "Everyone return back to the guild!"

"But we can't!" Gray said.

"A man never retreats!" Elfman said.

Macao coughed, "I still got a bit of fight left in me…"

"We can't beat Jose without our Master, this is an order! Do I make myself clear?" She demanded, her eyes briefly flashing to Gray.

"Don't tell me you guys are going home already!" Gajeel laughed.

"It…it's so sad." Aria appeared on the rafters next to him.

"Aria…I see you're being as creepy as ever…still, you did a good job taking out that old sack of crap."

"It was a part of Master Jose's plan." Aria sniffed, then he cried, "It's so beautiful!"

"Stop crying!" Gajeel growled, "So did they ever get that knight guy or whatever?"

"Yes." Aria nodded, "He's being confined at headquarters as we speak."

"Gajeel!" Natsu growled, "What did you bastards do with Ant?"

"We'll have a chance to brawl later, Salamander!" Gajeel snickered, as he and Aria teleported away.

"They took Ant…" Natsu clenched his fists.

"What? They did?" Happy asked.

"I said retreat!" Erza screamed, "At once!"

"You think we're gonna let you get away, Fairy Tail?" One of the Phantom wizards yelled.

"You're coming with me!" Natsu pulled him aside.

"Natsu, what are you doing?" Happy asked.

"What do you think? I'm finding Ant!" He proclaimed.

Gray looked at Erza, "Can we really retreat at a time like this? We have to avenge Levy's team!"

"Gray." She gave him a fierce look, like fire and ice they stared at each other, "I thought I could forgive you if you listened in the future. Doubting me again won't only put you in trouble, it will threaten the lives of the guild members. I'm not doing this because I want to, I'm doing this because it needs to happen. The only possible answer right now is to retreat, the Master left a huge hold in our morale and our forces. If we stay and waste any more time, we'll only lose more people."  
Gray nodded and silently agreed, pulling back with everyone else.

Natsu meanwhile, was doing the complete opposite, "Talk." He grunted to the Phantom member he was dragging against the ground, "Where's Ant?"

"What…who…who the hell is Ant?" The Phantom member asked.

Natsu burned him, he screamed as flames shot out of his body, "Talk!" Natsu roared, "If any more of my friends get hurt, I'll burn you to ashes!"

"I don't know…I don't know anything about this Ant person! The only thing I do know, is that our headquarters are nearby, they may be there!"

* * *

The Emerald Knight slowly woke up in a dirty, poorly lit cell. He felt his head, then his eyes widened when he felt his soft, shaved head instead of his smooth helmet. So he was captured. And they took his weapons away from him. Damn it all, he assumed there would be no fighting his way out of this.

"Ah, so you're awake." A sinister voice said through the cell door, "The ever-famous Emerald Knight."

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, "Show yourself!"

"I am Master Jose." Jose said as he entered the cell, "Master of the Phantom Lord guild."

The Emerald Knight gave a slight nod. That added up, those two creepy servants of his made it out as such, but, why did they need him alive? After the work Gajeel did to nearly kill Levy, that part at least didn't add up.

"My apologies for having you stay in this dingy cell…but at the moment, you are our captive, so I beg your forgiveness…"

The Emerald Knight narrowed his eyes.

"However, depending on your attitude, you can go from 'captive' to 'esteemed guest'." Jose offered.

"Hold on just a second…" The Emerald Knight said, "Why are you treating me with such…fearful hospitality? You're making it out as if I'm as powerful as Natsu or Erza and you want to use my power for some hidden, alternate purpose. Not only am I much weaker than the two of them, but I'm probably weaker than half the guild, so you're wasting your time."

"You dislike your cell, no? Wouldn't you rather be treated to something a bit more, luxurious? All you'd have to do is behave."

"Not after what you did to Levy and the others, and our guildhall. Why did you start attacking us anyway? I have basic knowledge of the rivalry the guilds share, but it is my understanding that a law prohibits us from direct conflict."

"Us?" Jose mirrored, "Ah, you must be referring to Fairy Tail." He snickered, "It was a bonus to our original job, that's all. Nothing more and nothing less."

"A bonus?" The Emerald Knight cocked an eyebrow, "And what this original job of yours anyway?"

"To get a hold of a certain someone." Jose said, "And they coincidentally usually reside at Fairy Tail now, so its destruction was just a lovely side effect."

The Emerald Knight was trying to think of who it was in his guild, but then he froze, "You…you don't mean _me_ …do you?"

Jose chuckled and crossed his arms, "For one of the holy gemstone knights of Fiore, you're not as impressive as I'd thought you'd be, haven't you caught on by now?" He asked, "You were a secret, underground militant training organization who most of the kingdom had no idea existed. But only seven of you graduated and were blessed with holy gemstone armor. And even out of those seven, you are the sole survivor." He chuckled a bit more, "I suppose even with all those impenetrable rocks protecting your hides you were still no match for magic, hmm? Didn't take long for all your friends to get wiped out!"

The Emerald Knight growled ferociously, "How do you know about that?"

"Our client was very forthcoming with the information, trust me." Jose said, "Now I can't understand why a holy knight would degrade himself with such petty and dangerous jobs when he can just work for the royal army for a lion's share of the world's money."

"If you _actually_ knew the entire story, you wouldn't be so eager to be in my position…"

"Perish the thought, I know full well the entire story." He held his hands out, "We at Phantom Lord have been commissioned by Archduke Caesar to bring you back home to your accommodations with him."

The Emerald Knight started shaking in fear, "No…you can't! Do not take me to that man!"

"Now, now, why do you hide from the man who trained you into what you were today? Hmm? Shouldn't you as his last disciple visit the father you never had? I mean, it's not as if your six friends can, they're all dead."

 _Why? Because he's insane, that's why. He was insane when I was young being trained by him. One can only tremble in fear as to what he's like now._ "I cannot go back to Archduke Caesar, I have been running from him since I lost my comrades and I won't go back!"

"Don't make this more difficult than it has to be, now."

"Let me go!"

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that."

The Emerald Knight narrowed his eyes. This wasn't going to simple by any stretch of the word, but he believed his miserable height would actually prove to be an advantage in this case. He rolled forward, going right between Jose's legs, he then kept trying to gain momentum, leaving the cell, he eventually saw a window. _Excellent, now I just need to hop out of here somehow._

Jose laughed, turning around and facing the Emerald Knight, "Did I forget the mention?" He asked, "That this dungeon is quite a few stories up?"

The Emerald Knight looked down in fear, there was no way he'd survive that jump.

"Yes, so unless you enjoy killing yourself, I'd come back in the cell…"

The Emerald Knight quivered as he looked into Jose's eyes. Jose looked angered, demented, crazed, but even then, he only looked half a mad as Caesar on a regular basis.

"Come now…" Jose said, "You need to receive your punishment…it's time for you to realize how frightening we can be. Don't you dare jump…and leave Caesar with no pupils, that wouldn't be very considerate to poor Caesar, now would it?"

"If it means giving one last spot to Caesar's face, I shall give my goodbyes here." The Emerald Knight fell back out the window.

"What?" Jose screamed, "No!"

The Emerald Knight faced the ground as he slowly fell towards it. _This is it. I've officially ended an era. Caesar will have no scapegoat to play with now. Hey…at least…_ He sniffed as his tears flew in the wind. _At least I'll be reunited with Miranda now…_

Natsu jumped out from out of nowhere, catching the Emerald Knight.

"Whoa, it's raining Ants!" Happy said.

"Are you crazy?" Natsu scolded, "Why are you trying to kill yourself?"

"I'm sorry…" The Emerald Knight said as Natsu put him down.

"You alright?" Natsu asked.

The Emerald Knight gave a slight nod.

"Alright, we should probably go back to the guild now." Happy said.

"Why? Their base is right here, let's go kick their butts." Natsu said.

"But Erza told us to retreat!"

"Because Erza's scared, I'm not scared at all!"

"But the Master is badly wounded."

"And I'll get revenge for him!"

"You? Alone, against all of them? Not a chance."

"What did you say?"

"Not a chance."

"You said it twice now!"

"But everyone's injured!"

"Yeah, not me!"

The Emerald Knight sighed, now instead of feeling pure sadness, he was feeling guilt. Everything that has happened so far. All the injuries. What happened to the guildhall. What happened to Levy and the rest of Team Shadow Gear, it was because Caesar got bored and wanted to torment him a bit more, "Forgive me…please…"

"Ant?" Happy asked.

"What's going on?" Natsu asked.

"Everything that has happened so far…it has been my fault…" The Emerald Knight growled at himself, "If I should've been exiled from the guild because of Galuna, then I should definitely be exiled now…"

"What are you talking about?" Natsu asked, "No one's kicking you out of the guild…"

The Emerald Knight brushed a few tears away, then he stood up, "If I do get exiled, then it was a pleasure knowing you both…"

"Natsu, let's go back home." Happy said, as he and Natsu both gave the Emerald Knight a confused look.

"Yeah, let's go." Natsu said.

Jose meanwhile growled from the dungeon floor of his guildhall, a dark magic emanating from him, "That little garbage heap of a knight is going to pay for what he's done!" He screamed.

* * *

 **A/N:** So how was that? Don't worry, his past will only get more developed as the story goes on. Can't wait to write more! Thanks for reading!


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** Here's chapter twenty three! Even more of the Emerald Knight's backstory! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

In a house within a broad oak tree in Magnolia's eastern woods, Fairy Tail's Master laid in a bed, panting feverishly and sweating underneath sheets that were pulled up over him. The small hut was full of pots and pans with boiling liquids, potted plants on window sills and plant life overgrowing through the walls and windows. Mosses lined the floors like carpets, while ferns and lichen hung down with leaves like a form of chandelier in the sun light.

A woman stood near the bed beside Makarov. Looking about the same age he was, she had long pink hair that was tied back in a bun with a golden hair-pin through it, a crescent moon pendant on the end. She wore a dark red robe with white trim, a forest green blouse and a dark cranberry colored skirt underneath the robe. She had a strict look on her face, but it looked far too natural to be forced. She was stirring a serum in one hand, adding some boiling water to it with the other hand. After it was stirred to her liking, she looked down at Makarov, her beady red eyes looking down at his face for a few moments before she slapped him across the face in one swift movement.

"What the hell was that for?" Alzack asked, he and Bisca had delivered Makarov to her quarters.

She huffed, staring down at him with an angry glare, "He's an idiot. Going off in getting swept away in battle at his age. If he's going to be that impetuous then he should at least write a will." She sighed, then turned to the other two, "And how long are you eyesores going to be lurking around! Go on! Back to your guild! I have no need for you taking up my space in here!"

"But…can you at least tell us how he is…" Alzack asked.

"Please Porlyusica-

Bisca started, but Porlyusica grabbed a broom, "Go!" She snapped, swinging the broom at them, "You aren't helping his condition by loitering around! You'll only make him more anxious."

Alzack and Bisca exchanged a terrified glance, backing away a little.

She sighed and put the broom back in the doorway, along with a collection of others, "He was attacked by wind magic, hmm?" She slowly walked back over to Makarov and looked down at him, "Then it must have been Drain, an attack that forces its victim's magic to flow away from them. His drained magic then flows through the wind for a while before it dissipates into nothing. If we were more proactive, I would have been able to take his magic back from the air, but it's too late now, it's gone…." She sighed, "He'll be here for a long time…"

"It's that bad…" Alzack said.

"Why are you still here!?" She screeched at them, swinging her broom at them more violently.

"What? I thought you _wanted_ us to hear all that!"

"Go on, get out of here! Your humanity is stinking the place rotten!" She said as she came even closer.

"Alright, we'll be on our way now!" Alzack said as he and Bisca ran off.

Her harsh glare melted away as she looked back at Makarov, standing by his side and looking down with him with a soft, almost loving look in her eye, "You've been in pain for a long time now, haven't you? A mage's magical powers are like his life force, and the greater the magic power, the more damaging Drain is…" She bit the inside of her cheek as she looked down at him before continuing, "If you give up, even for a heartbeat, you'll die…." She averted her eyes, "You old fool."

* * *

The Emerald Knight sat quietly in the damaged guildhall. He already felt naked without his armor and everyone staring at him, he took a great big sigh. This was all his fault after all.

"Next time we're giving them hell!" Wakaba said, he like most of the other members covered in bandages.

"Yeah, I can't believe we had to retreat!" Macao said.

Elfman looked down at the Emerald Knight, "I think you have some explaining to do."

"Yeah Ant." Happy said, a bit gentler, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't think it mattered…" The Emerald Knight sighed, "Apparently it does now…"

"Hey, take your time and just tell us." Gray said, "None of us judge you." He pat his back with a smile.

The Emerald Knight smiled back, they seemed to have switched places since Galuna. "Well…" He sighed, "My family was killed by a Dark Guild, I never really got to know my parents too well. I was taken in by a training academy, I wanted to get stronger with the sole purpose of killing wizards, or killing dark mages, to be specific. It was run by an overzealous nobleman of Fiore. Well, seven of us passed all the training courses they had available, and we were enhanced to an elite status. The nobleman, Archduke Caesar, fitted us with gemstone armor, which was designed to be impenetrable."

He gave a chuckle, "We all looked like a bizarre rainbow from far away…but…ultimately, it didn't really last. A few skirmishes into our new role as an elite corps, and we were completely slaughtered. All my friends I grew up with perished in a war with a Dark Guild. After that I ran away, being alone with Caesar was intolerable, and for a while, I thought he never cared. Aside from citing a debt to me, of course, because after all, he did practically raise the lot of us. But…it turns out he did care…because this entire endeavor is my fault. Caesar hired Phantom to take me back…so…all of the harm on the guild and Levy and Team Shadow, it's all my fault…I'm sorry…"

"Ant…" Erza's eyes were closed as she listened to his story, then she looked up at him, "Team Shadow Gear's pains are not your fault. Fairy Tail's pains are not your fault. Phantom Lord shouldn't even be involved at all. The fact that they are shows how dark they really are, willing to kill innocents and break one of the major laws just to get money from Caesar."

"Yeah, Caesar sounds like a really bad guy." Elfman said.

"Ant, the point is there's nothing to worry about." Gray said.

"But I cannot be allowed to stay in the guild after everything that has occurred, can I?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"I say, you can stay." Natsu smiled, "This place is your home, and we're a team now, it wouldn't be right if we just gave ya back to Caesar."

The Emerald Knight felt a calm surge of relief in him, at least for now. He would have to deal with Caesar at a later time, by himself, but the guild's support was a welcome thing. Even Erza didn't have any problems with him.

Cana took a sip of her booze, sitting at one of the makeshift tables and laying out cards in an intricate pattern. She sat for a few moments and tried to read them, before drawing another card and pausing, reading them. There was a silence, then she growled and swatted her hand across the table, "Fuck! I can't find Mystogan anywhere!"

Mirajane gave a disappointed sigh, standing over her shoulder. She turned around and looked at what appeared to be a crystal ball, putting a hand on it, "We don't have much of a choice then…do we…?"

"If Ant is their target, they're only gonna keep chasing after us. And we have a lot injured, this could get bad. I'd go for it." She said to Mirajane, sitting on the table she was working at and facing the lacrima.

The lacrima sparkled with life, it must not have been used in a while. Mirajane's eyes looked away the second it projected, and she cleared her throat, "The Master is in critical condition, and Mystogan is nowhere to be found…" She said, skipping any form of formalities. She figured it would only cause problems, "You're the only one who we can ask for help…Laxus…" She dared her eyes to look up at him.

"What's that?" Laxus asked on his side of the lacrima.

"I know you heard me…" She said softly, bitterly, before continuing sweetly, "Please…come help us in our darkest hour…we need you…" Her big innocent eyes, no matter how enchanting, failed to do her any good.

"You mean that old fart finally got his? Ha, what a joke!" He laughed, "You fix it yourself. This has absolutely nothing to do with me."

"Laxus, you cocksucker!" Cana spat, her hand slamming down on the table, changing the mood entirely. She would have continued if he didn't speak first.

"Cana, let's get one thing straight here. You're a pathetic weakling whose mouth is better at drinking booze than it is for using the English language. Why don't you try those insults on someone a little more suited to your age at an elementary school, you four-time failure!"

Mirajane stood in front of Cana to prevent her from arguing, knowing the two got at it like cats and dogs. "Laxus. They're after the Emerald Knight, a member of our guild."

Cana stood up and went around Mirajane so she could glare at Laxus, "Hey, you little shit, you're one to talk about booze. Whenever you're not running that cocky-ass mouth, you're either guzzling booze or tits."

"Cana." Erza put a hand on her shoulder, "Let Mira handle this for just a moment."

Cana tore her shoulder away from Erza's grasp and glared at Laxus.

"The emerald who?" Laxus asked as he laughed, "Do I even know the guy? What's a freaking knight doing in a guild anyway? I guess he's just fucking stuff up, isn't he? That's just great." The Emerald Knight shrunk in his seat as he overheard that, "I'll help, but only on one condition. You tell that old geezer to retire and let me take over!"

"You really are an asshole, aren't you?" Cana growled.

"Last time I checked that's not really how you talk to someone who you're begging to!" Laxus smiled, "Maybe I'll overlook it if you two babes strip for me. That way-

"Fine, fine, whatever." Cana took her top off.

One of Erza's eyes twitched as she tackled Cana to the ground to preserve her modesty.

Meanwhile, as Cana was tackled to the ground, another smashing sound was heard. It was Mirajane's fist on the lacrima. She bashed the lacrima right on the top, as if she was slamming it down onto Laxus's head. Her clenched fist was leaking with blood as glass shards fell to the ground, as did thick streaks of tears running down her cheeks. "I can't believe him…" She squeaked, "He…he isn't a member of this guild…he can't be…."

"Mira…" Cana looked up at her, stunned. The guild went silent as well.

"That's it." Mirajane said firmly, " _I'm_ going to fight."

"What are you saying?" Cana spat, getting to her knees then putting her bra back on.

"I'm saying I'm sick of sitting around the guild, watching people get kidnapped and tortured! I have to do something, Cana, I can't sit around like this!" She was breaking down, that much was clear with her voice.

"Mirajane." Cana held her shoulder, "You can't. As you are now, you'd just get in the way."

Mirajane bit her lip and shook with rage as Cana continued, "Even if you are an S-Class wizard."

Mirajane turned around and stomped off into the library, slamming the door shut. Cana let out a heavy sigh, brushing some of the glass aside with her foot.

Erza sat at a table and rubbed one of her temples, _The Master is missing in action…Mystogan is missing and Laxus has ignored us…only a fraction of the guild is uninjured…it's impossible to keep up right now…_ She recalled the Master's last words to her before he stormed off to take on Jose. She punched the table, splintering it, _If I was with him, in that moment…if I had gone with him then…this is all my fault!_

The Emerald Knight was shocked as well, for a different reason. Mirajane, an S-Class wizard?

Suddenly, the ground shook. Alzack looked out the window, "What the hell is that thing?"

Outside in the sea, was Phantom Lord's guildhall, walking on six giant metal legs.

"A…a walking…guildhall…" Wakaba gasped.

"That can't be Phantom, can it?" Macao asked. Most of the wizards ran outside to see the sight clearly with their own eyes.

Cana gasped, Mirajane came out from the library, both hands over her mouth as she watched the guild move.

"It's…i-it's not illusion magic, right?" A guild member elbowed Erza.

She swallowed hard and shook her head, "No…they're not trying to scare us…that would serve no purpose…."

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?"

Jose was meanwhile in a control room, hundreds of his guild wizards at terminals. A large gray cannon slid out through the mobile guild, "Prepare the magic focusing cannon: Jupiter!" The cannon began to warm up with deadly black rays emitted from its mouth, "Kill them all!"

"No…" Erza's eyes shrunk and she got to her feet, running over, "Everyone, get down!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Hurry, fire the cannon!" Jose flourished.

"Yes, sir." One of his attendants said.

"Erza!" Wakaba called out.

"What are you doing?" Macao asked.

Erza ran forward, out far until she was standing in front of Fairy Tail. As she ran, her body glowed golden and she requipped into a new set of armor. Donning a dark chest plate with dark pointed shoulders, pointed with white accents, her entire armor set was all white and black. A white pointed skirt was layer over white layered plating on her thighs, while she had black and white metal boots on as well. Her gauntlets were black, buried underneath white arm plating and heavier plating around her wrists. Her helmet was black and had two horns jutting out of it, but the most remarkable feature of her armor was the shield. Fixed onto her elbows, a white shield with a black interior stuck out from her armor and was covered in white spikes as well. As she skidded on the stones to a halt, she screamed, "For as long as I live, you will not hurt this guild!"

"Her Adamantine armor!" Wakaba shouted.

"I mean…it's her most defensive armor…but…I don't think it'll be enough…" Macao said.

"Of course it won't be, that'll kill her!"

"Erza!" Natsu ran at her to stop her.

"Stop, Natsu!" Gray pulled him back, "We just have to trust Erza now!"

The Emerald Knight watched on in shock and awe. He had to admit, her shield danced circles around his.

The cannon fired, aimed directly at Erza. Erza held out her massive shield, seeming to block the attack.

Silence filled the rest of the guild as they stood behind her, suspended in fear. Their stomachs churned as they watched Erza's feet slowly skid back, gritting her teeth as she held her best up against the cannon.

As the black laser wore on, the armor gradually chipped away, until Erza was blown back, with practically none of her armor left intact. She screamed as she flew back into the air, slamming against the ground. However, her armor was destroyed just in time. Her body was the last thing to be hit by the laser. Magnolia, Fairy Tail, and its guildmates were all unscathed.

"Did…did she really just defend us from a Jupiter blast?" Alzack asked.

"Yeah, she saved us all." Wakaba said.

"Erza!" Natsu ran towards her.

"Hang in there!" Gray said.

"Makarov and Erza are completely out of commission." Jose announced over a loudspeaker, "You have no final ace up your sleeve. Give me the Emerald Knight, now! Or else you'll all be blown to smithereens!"

"Don't give us that crap!" Alzack snapped.

"Ant is one of us, you can't have him!" Macao said.

"Hand him over now!" Jose shouted.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard. It would save a lot of bloodshed if he did go quietly. Then he could meet up with Caesar and if he was lucky deal with him from there.

Erza grunted as she slowly leaned up onto her forearms, still laying on the ground. Her voice came out strong, however, as she screamed, "I would rather die than hand him over to you!"

The Emerald Knight's eyes shrunk. He would never have expected Erza to make such a declaration, not after how she spoke to him at Galuna. He felt like a massive fool for even considering trying to distance himself from her.

It was clear that what Erza said resonated with the rest of the guild, as this only increased their rage as they protested Jose.

"Our answer will always be the same!" Natsu said, "We're gonna destroy you creeps! You'll be nothing but little pieces when I'm done with you!"

"If that's what you want, I hope you'll enjoy the next helping of Jupiter!" Jose yelled, "It'll charge in fifteen minutes. That's all the time you pathetic fairies will have left to live!"

"That thing's gonna fire again?" Wakaba asked.

"Erza!" Gray tried to shake Erza awake, but she was down for the count, "Damn it…looks like we'll have to protect ourselves a different way this time…"

A horde of cloaked phantoms flew out of the guild, beginning to do battle with the Fairy Tail infantry.

"What, he's got soldiers to attack us too?" Wakaba asked.

"Great, so now we have this _and_ Jupiter to deal with…" Macao said.

"Witness your hell, Fairy Tail! You see now that you have two choices…" Jose said, "Be killed by my troopers, or be blown apart by Jupiter!"

"It's a bluff…" Wakaba said.

"Yeah, why would they kill their own men?" Macao asked.

"These aren't really forces…" Cana said as she threw cards at them, "They're just his magic! He can make ghosts, these aren't Phantom Lord guild members."

"What? So they're actually ghosts?" Wakaba asked.

"Exactly." Cana threw a few more cards at them, "We need to focus all our efforts on stopping Jupiter!"

"I got this." Natsu grinned, "Fifteen minutes, sounds great to me, come on Happy!"

"Aye!" Happy flew off with Natsu in his grasp.

"Let's go too. He'll probably need help." Gray looked Elfman.

Elfman nodded and ran off with Gray.

"Loke." Cana smiled, "Let's hold the fort."

Loke nodded, standing near Cana and striking down the phantom soldiers.

"Ant." Mirajane held a hand out, "Come with me."

The Emerald Knight blushed, "Pardon?"

"We have a safe place for you to stay for now, just until this battle is over, okay?" She tugged him along, not struggling much since he didn't have his armor on.

"But…I need to fight with everyone else! I…I need to take some sort of responsibility for this!"

"No, Ant, it isn't your fault. No one here thinks it is." Today was the day he had seen that bright smile die. The bright smile that always shone, no matter how sad she was, broke today. Today she sobbed, today she was angry, today she was scared. But now she was determined, to the point where smiling would ensure a future too positive to count on.

"Today we're fighting for the guild Phantom destroyed. For those who Phantom attacked and left wounded. And for one of our guildmates, one of our family. That's the kind of fight this is, a fight of glory and honor. So do as we say." She said, holding a hand in front of the Emerald Knight's face.

His eyes wavered, then slowly closed as he started to fall back, Mirajane put him into a sleep-like state in a heartbeat. She leaned in and caught him, holding him tightly as he fell, "Reedus, take him to the safe house! Quickly!"

"Oui." Reedus drew a horse-drawn carriage on his belly and it came to life. He rode off with the Emerald Knight.

Mirajane's body transformed into a copy of the Emerald Knights. However, as she transformed, her dress tore in some places and dragged behind her in others. She blushed and found a Phantom Lord member laying on the ground who was a bit taller than the Emerald Knight, but his outfit was all she would be needing. As she switched clothes, she thought, _I might not be able to fight with my magic, but I can fight back with strategy and spirit._

Natsu was meanwhile punching the cannon with everything he had, eventually growling when nothing was working, "Damn it! I can't even scratch this thing!"

"We might have to destroy it from the inside." Happy said.

"Alright." Natsu crawled in the barrel, followed by Happy, "Let's see if this leads us anywhere good."

"Jeez, it's really tight in here…" Happy said.

At the end of the barrel was a large generator room with a big black orb in the center of the room, "What the heck is that thing supposed to be?" Natsu asked.

"It's probably the lacrima that powers Jupiter." Happy said.

"Really? Jeez, I've never seen a lacrima this big before…"

"Well, it doesn't have ammunition. It shoots concentrated magic power, that's probably why it's so big."

"Whatever, we just have to blow it up, right?" Natsu's fist flared up.

"I'm afraid that isn't going to happen." A third voice said, as a man walked into their sight. His hair was half-black, and half-white, in a short top knot. He also had simple black markings on his face, an orange tunic, black pants, and black boots, as well as a katana.

"Is he the guard?" Happy looked nervous.

"It doesn't matter, I'll just burn him up before I blow up the lacrima!" Natsu ran at him.

"I told you, that's not going to happen." The guard said.

"Get out of my way!"

At the last second, Natsu punched himself in the face instead of his enemy, falling to the ground.

"Natsu, what did you do that for?" Happy asked.

"I didn't do it on purpose…it sort of just happened…" Natsu said.

"Like I said before, you won't be touching this lacrima anytime today, you may as well turn around and leave." The guard said.

"Big talk, pal, but I gotta blow this thing up. And I will, mark my word." Natsu said.

* * *

 **A/N:** Any thoughts? Let me know with a review! Thanks for reading, it really means a lot!


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** Here's chapter twenty four! The heat of the Phantom Lord battle grows! Hope you like it! Thank you for all the reviews so far!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Inside the guild, Erza was laying down on a table, with a few extra table cloths for cushioning. Mirajane stood beside her, in the Emerald Knight's appearance. _If he treats us like that, he isn't part of our guild…like father, like son, I should have figured…_ Every now and again she'd peer her head out the window, watching the battle with her eyes glazed over, thinking to herself, _I need to move on then…he's changed too much since then…_ She looked down at herself, despite the fact that she was in the Emerald Knight's body, she still felt off, _Then again, so have I…do I deserve someone like him?_ Hearing Erza softly moan only fueled this feeling, _I've always gotten in the way…I've never helped anyone, I've only caused more problems…I can't even fight anymore, I can't even be trusted…_

"…Ant…..?" Erza moaned softly.

Mirajane turned and gently shushed her, "Sleep, Erza."

Erza's heavy eyes closed again as she took a shaky deep breath, letting out the tiniest moan.

"You're safe here. And so is the guild." She looked back out the window, "Our family…we're all safe…"

* * *

"I'm going to blow your little cannon apart, whether you like it or not!" Natsu said.

"It's not going to happen." The guard said, "Didn't you hear me the first time?"

"I don't have time for this!" Natsu growled, running at him again, but like before, he just punched himself in the face.

"Natsu!" Happy cried.

"Damn it…that hurt…" Natsu felt his charred cheek, "How the hell is he doing that?"

"Hurry up! You have to destroy Jupiter!"

"Come here, you jerk!" Natsu went to punch the guard again, but he punched himself in the face for the umpteenth time.

"I am Totomaru, and I control the element of flame." The guard said, "Every fire is under my control."

"What?" Natsu snapped.

"It can be manmade, or it can be magic, but all fire bends to my will!"

"It's my fire!" Natsu frowned.

"Natsu, forget about this guy!" Happy said, "You have to destroy Jupiter!"

"You were unlucky in your choice of opponents." Totomaru snickered, "Fire wizard!"

The lacrima began to hum with power, as an automated voice called out, "Five minutes before Jupiter fires."

"Ah! Jupiter is warming up!" Happy said.

"Blue fire!" Totomaru launched a wave of blue flames at Natsu.

Natsu grabbed the flames as if they were tangible and he started eating them, "Whoo…these are cold! I've never had flames like these before!" He said as he gobbled them up.

"I see." Totomaru said, "So you're the famous fire wizard I've heard so much about. Well, this won't really work out for _either_ of us now."

"Huh?" Natsu asked.

"Neither of our fire can affect the other."

"Don't give me that bullshit! Your fire will never hit me! Can't say the same about you."

"It doesn't matter which spell you use." Totomaru held his hands out, "As long as it's fire, I can control it."

"Fire Dragon's…" Natsu puffed his cheeks out, "Spit!" He spit all over Totomaru.

Totomaru's face scrunched up in disgust as Natsu laughed, "This guy is utterly disgusting…"

"Natsu, we're in trouble! Jupiter is about to fire!" Happy flew around.

"That was a cheap trick, I'll show you! Orange flame!" Totomaru blasted Natsu with orange fire.

"Pfft, all fire is food to me." Natsu grinned, "I wonder what this'll taste like." He started eating it, then he turned green and shuddered, "Ew…" He made a face, "What the hell is this stuff? It tastes nasty!"

Totomaru laughed, "Do you like that? It's my foulest smelling fire!"

"Ah! It's like my nose is being burnt off!" Natsu cried, "Damn it…you got no class, you know that?"

"This…coming from the guy who spit on me?"

"Two minutes and thirty seconds until Jupiter fires." The automated voice said.

"Now you're really starting to piss me off!" Natsu snapped as his entire body was covered in flames.

"Natsu, forget about him!" Happy urged.

Natsu growled and went to punch Totomaru in the face.

"So…" Totomaru chuckled, "You've given up on magic and just want to fight physically? Fine by me, I'm quite skilled with a katana!" Sure enough, he was too quick to be caught by Natsu. Natsu was quickly getting punished with every miss by a bloody scar on his body.

Natsu snarled, growing impatient, he flared a fist up and went to punch him.

"I guess you never learn, do you?" Totomaru smirked, directing Natsu's punch at himself and blowing him up.

"One minute until Jupiter fires." The automated voice said.

"This is the end, fire wizard!" Totomaru laughed.

Natsu balled up a large amount of fire in his hands, it got bigger and bigger as time went on.

Totomaru narrowed his eyes, "What…his fire…it…it's too big for me to control!"

"Thirty seconds until Jupiter fires." The automated voice said.

"It's my fire!" Natsu said as he launched it, "And you can't do anything about it!"

Totomaru laughed even more, "Unfortunately for you, your fire will never hit its target!" He moved the large beam of fire away from itself.

"Ten seconds until Jupiter fires." The automated voice said.

"I wasn't aiming for you in the first place!" Natsu roared, as the fire collided into the large lacrima, blowing it up sky high.

"What? No!" Totomaru said.

"Yay!" Happy cheered.

"Now that the stupid cannon is outta the way, it's time to take down Phantom, once and for all!" Natsu frowned.

Totomaru swallowed hard. His master made it seem like this would be a cakewalk without Makarov and Erza. It seemed now that this wasn't the case at all.

"Alright!" Alzack cheered from the ground.

"Jupiter's been destroyed!" Macao added.

"There's nothing left in the way, charge forward!" Cana called out to everyone, thankful her voice was able to project so far as she ran forward with the horde.

"Master Jose…" One of the Phantom attendants said, "Jupiter has been completely demolished…"

Jose growled, "Those little brats!"

Natsu was meanwhile still in his match with Totomaru, "I see right through your magic now." Natsu said.

"That's right!" Happy added.

The entire building started shake, it was beginning to undergo a new transformation.

"He can't be doing it? Is he serious?" Totomaru asked.

"Doing what?" Natsu asked.

The Phantom Lord guildhall slowly grew metal arms and legs.

"What the hell is that?" Macao asked.

"It…it's standing?" Wakaba's jaw dropped.

Totomaru chuckled darkly, "This is it…it's all over…you're facing our guild in its prime form!" He said as the guildhall transformed into a large robot of destruction, "The Super Magic Giant Phantom, Mark Two!"

Cana blinked slowly, then smiled, "…this is a joke, right?"

"A giant…?" Loke swallowed hard.

"Crap, what do we do?" Wakaba screamed.

"It's gonna step on our guild at this rate!" Macao said.

Cana scratched her head, "Look, it's Natsu's job to handle that thing, we need to focus on _our_ job!"

"Uh…..but…but it's moving…"

Cana looked baffled, then her eyes widened, "Fuck."

"Urp…" Natsu harmlessly fell back, unable to move.

Totomaru looked puzzled, "What's wrong with him?" He asked,

"…why…why is it moving…?"

Totomaru laughed, "Well, it's my lucky day, this man gets motion sickness! Now it's time for me to turn things around!" He said as he flared up, "Fire may not work on you normally, but you can't fight back in this state! Take this! My most deadly fire, rainbow fire!"

He was slowly but surely frozen solid, "What? What is this? No! It can't be!" He said as he was eventually frozen. Next a large beast arm picked him up and hauled him away.

"Natsu…pathetic as always…" Gray said as he walked on the scene.

"A real man makes the machine motion sick of you!" Elfman said.

"Awesome guys…urp…" Natsu said weakly.

"So, this is what's left of Jupiter?" Gray looked at the rubble.

"Aye!" Happy smiled.

"Well, at least you pulled that off…"

"But why did the entire thing shake and flip around?" Elfman wondered.

"It stopped!" Natsu cheered as the machine finally stopped moving.

"I'll go check things out from outside!" Happy flew out of the room.

Outside, the machine was slowly drawing a magic circle, a large and intricate one at that.

"What the hell is it doing now?" Wakaba asked.

"Writing something…" Macao said.

"It's a magic circle!?" Cana gasped, "The fucking guild hall can be a wizard!?"

Through gasps of other guild members, Mirajane put a hand to her mouth, which looked almost a little silly as the Emerald Knight, "Forbidden Magic? But why….why Abyss Break…?"

"At that size…it could level the town all the way up to Kardia Cathedral!" Loke shouted.

"This is bad guys!" Happy flew back in the room, "The robot is drawing a giant black wave that will destroy everything!"

"No way!" Natsu's jaw dropped.

"Then the entire city is in trouble!" Gray said.

"Damn it…we gotta find a way to stop it." Natsu said.

"Alright, we'll split up and see what's powering the spell." Gray nodded.

Elfman nodded as well and they all split off, "They're using one dirty trick after the next…" He muttered.

"What do we do about this?" Alzack asked from the ground.

Wakaba gave a hopeless shrug, "Hope Natsu and the others figure something out?"

"How long until that spell goes off?" Cana looked at Mirajane.

"I would think about ten minutes." Mirajane said, green eyes sparkling nervously, "But I'm not sure. It depends on its power source."

"Let's hope the people inside are looking for it…"

"Who's inside?"

"Gray and Elfman went up to join Natsu." Cana said, jumping as Mirajane gasped.

"Elfman!? Why?"

"What do you mean, 'why'? He always talks about fighting like a real-

"You know he can't fight, Cana, why would you let him up there? You should know that as well as I do!"

"Sure he can. He was in that brawl before, using his Beast Arm with no problem. Even tangled with Gajeel."

"But…it's different with all this pressure…." She melted against the wall, "As he is now, Elfman…." She trailed off, tears rimmed her eyes.

"Look, Mira, I know it's fucked up what happened in the past, but he's moving forward now. I believe in him. You should too."

Mirajane gave a strong look to the sky, clenching her fists, "Move forward…?" She said to herself quietly, "Well, then I should too."

She took off, pushing away from where she was hiding and running outside to where everyone else was.

"Mira!" Cana called, as well as several other guild mates still inside.

Mirajane stood out in the open, plain to everyone's eye, "It's me you're after right?" She asked, "There's no need for this battling, put it to an end and take what you've been looking for!"

The guild went silent, terrified of what would happen.

Mirajane bit her bottom lip, _This will buy us time._

"Master…it's…" An attendant started.

Jose squinted at the Emerald Knight for a couple seconds.

"Get out of my sight, scum." Jose scowled at Mirajane, "You imposter!"

Her jaw dropped, _How did he know…?_

"We knew from the start that your little precious Emerald Knight wasn't with you. No one would be foolish enough to leave him on the front lines."

"Dammit…" Cana grit her teeth as she looked down in anger.

Mirajane's eyes watered as she turned back into her original form, her white hair catching the breeze against her dark clothes, _How much more useless could I be?_

Elfman roared as he kept searching the entire of the giant machine, "I'm a man! And I'll protect Fairy Tail with my life!" He said, "But where the hell are the controls for this thing?"

The ground behind him bubbled up and out came Sol, "Salut!" He greeted with a dark grin.

Meanwhile, as Mirajane sobbed into her hands, Cana put an arm around her shoulders, "Mira…he'll be fine…okay?" Her words of consolation really had no effect at all as Mirajane kept weeping.

"So uh…should…should we start to run away now?" Wakaba asked, "That thing looks like it's about finished drawing the Abyss Break…"

"And leave the guild behind?" Cana asked, "What kind of dick move would that be? This is our guild, our home, and we're going to keep fighting for it no matter what! There are people inside there that are still fighting, we have to trust them!" She pointed at the Phantom guild.

Mirajane shuddered as her eyes hurt from crying so much, _Elfman isn't meant for battle…this much pressure on him will only make him break…_

Mirajane briefly saw a shadow loom over her, until she was grabbed by one of the machine's giant hands, "You've tried to deceive us…" Jose said, "So prepare to be punished!"

"Mira!" Cana screamed as she watched Mirajane struggle in the robot's fingers, "Elfman, Natsu, Gray, what the fuck are you doing!? Hurry up already!"

Mirajane struggled, hoping none of her bones would break as the robot squeezed onto her. _Don't rush them, Cana…there's no telling who he'll take it out on…_

"My name is Sol. You may call me Monsieur Sol." Sol grinned.

"Perfect." Elfman said, "Maybe you'll tell me how to stop this thing, once I beat the information out of you." His arm turned into a demonic monstrous arm, "Beast Arm!"

"Oh…you can only transform your arm?" Sol asked, "Then I wonder if the rumors are true." He said, "I have access to some of your memories, since you so rudely stepped on me…"

"Enough talk!" Elfman lunged forth and went to punch him.

Sol jumped out of the way, "You had a little sister, did you not?" He held his hands out, "Sable Dance!"

Elfman grunted as sand was whipped at him from all directions, "Where is he…?" He coughed.

"Rock Concerto!" Sol launched hundreds of tiny boulders at Elfman next, knocking him back considerably.

Sol snickered as he walked towards Elfman's downed body, "If I recall, you attempted a full body takeover, did you not? You went on a rampage, and your little sister tried to stop you, but the poor thing died in the process? Is that not correct?"

"Beast Arm, Iron Bull!" Elfman's arm was coated in iron as he ran at Sol.

"And from the trauma, you haven't been able to do a full body takeover since, how sad." Sol said. He burrowed down and popped right back up near Elfman, wrapping his slim body around his arm.

Elfman made a face, "You are seriously creepy…"

Sol snickered and unwrapped himself from Elfman, kicking him in the face and sending him back flying.

Elfman spit out a little blood, "How is this guy so strong?"

"Have we reached the finale already?" Sol asked.

Elfman narrowed his eyes, his entire body glowing with a dim, demonic light, "I have to try it…" He said, then he remembered Lisanna, how she died, and how he had killed her.

"You shouldn't try doing something you know you can't do!" Sol cackled, "Now you've done nothing but waste your magic power!" He kicked Elfman again in the same spot on the face. Elfman flinched and fell back, "And to show you what a gentlemen I am, I shall finish you off with my most powerful magic! Platre Sonata!" A large rocky fist barreled towards Elfman, smacking him back even further. It broke a huge hole in the machine, where Elfman could see the outside.

Sol snickered, "That is the Element Four for you, monsieur…"

Elfman's eyes slowly widened, "What…what is that?" He saw the machine holding something.

Elfman wouldn't have recognized her without her long white hair. Mirajane couldn't help but cry out as the robot squeezed her harder. She went completely limp, but her head turned towards him, lined with tears, "….Elf…." She murmured weakly, tears once again streaming down her cheeks.

"Mira!" Elfman cried.

Sol adjusted his monocle, watching over from behind him, "Ah, that is your elder sister, is it not? She must be the famed She-Devil feared by the entire world! Mademoiselle Mirajane!" He laughed, "But it seems she is much weaker than what she once was…such a shame…she will soon be rightfully punished for trying to deceive our master. Enjoy the last sight of your sister as she is crushed to death!"

"Get…." Mirajane said weakly, before she cried out louder so he could hear, "Get out of there, Elfman! Leave!"

"What are you doing to my sister? Let her go!" Elfman yelled.

Sol laughed and kicked him aside, stomping his head down into the ground. As Elfman noticed before, he was strong, for someone so slim and tiny.

"Stop it!" Mirajane begged, "Take my life if you have to, but leave him alone!"

"First, your younger sister, and now, your older sister!" Sol laughed, "It looks like you'll soon be an only child when this is said and done, hmm?"

"Elfman…" Mirajane sniffed, letting out a gasp as she heard a bone snap when she was squeezed tighter, "Elfman, run!" She screamed with the air she could muster, "Please…"

"No…" Elfman said softly, then he screamed, "I made a vow that I would never have my sister cry again! So who's making her cry?" He growled and stood up, gradually turning into a monster, "Who's making her cry?"

"No, Elfman, please, you can't, it isn't worth it! Just run, please! I'm begging you!"

"The reason Lisanna died…was because I was too weak to control myself…but I swear…that won't ever happen again!" He made a complete transformation into a looming beast, "I will be a strong man who can protect my sister! So you better let her go now!"

Sol swallowed hard, shivering, "Oh…oh m-my…oh dear…can…can this be…the full body takeover…Beast Soul…?" He shuddered as Elfman only roared louder.

* * *

 **A/N:** Looking forward to the next chapter, with Gruvia and more Strauss drama! Let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading!


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** Here's chapter twenty-five! Double-upload! I did a lot of addition to Juvia's backstory because I really like Juvia's character, and I figured I'd add some spice. I'll probably do that for a lot of characters, so keep your eyes peeled. Hope you like it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"Now…now, monsieur…I was just kidding around earlier!" Sol bowed, "I was just trying to strengthen your mind, you know? I was just trying to help! You may thank me later, monsieur!" He backed away.

Elfman snarled, like the mad beast he was, he stomped over to Sol, picking him up with one hand and punching him in the face. Sol screamed and coughed up blood. Elfman then slammed Sol on the ground, punching him over and over again, Sol gasped and coughed as he kept getting hit, cracks could be heard as his punches got more ferocious. Eventually once Sol was barely recognizable, Elfman started galloping around wildly, climbing up the arm that was holding Mirajane.

Mirajane shook madly, her aching pains faded as they were replaced with fear, "Elfman…it's me….." She trembled, "Can you hear me?"

Elfman got up close to Mirajane, looking into her eyes with his beastly ones, this stare down seemed to last a lifetime.

"Elfman…" She squeaked, paralyzed in fear.

He grabbed her and lifted her up, freeing her from the hand of the machine, "I'm sorry sis…" He hugged her close, "You never wanted to see this monster again, did you? And because I lost control all those years ago…Lisanna…"

"Elfman…" Her eyes watered with joy as she squeezed him, "You're….okay…."

"This was the only thing I could think of…to protect Fairy Tail…I'll have to get a lot stronger so I can control myself…"

"Elfman…" She rubbed his shoulders and smiled, "It isn't your fault Lisanna died. You were just protecting the guild."

Elfman turned back to his normal form, "But…I still killed her…"

She closed her eyes and squeezed him, "But you just saved me."

"Sis…"

"Besides. The two of us made a promise." Her tiny hands took his and brought them up, "We promised we'd live the rest of our lives to the fullest to make up for the life she was denied."

He started crying, "Oh sis, I'm so happy that you're safe!"

"Please don't cry, Elfman." She giggled a bit, squeezing him, "Thank you Elf."

Her eyes opened and narrowed as she watched the Phantom guild write its spell, "Hmm…."

"What is it sis?" Elfman asked.

"It's taking a lot longer to write that spell now…it slowed down…" She put a hand do her mouth, "The quadra-principle magic…Abyss Break…the quadra-principle refers to the four elements….air…fire…water…and earth…" Her eyes widened and she gasped, "Elfman, how many of the Element Four are left?"

"Uh…" Elfman tried to remember. Totomaru was cleanly knocked out by himself ad Gray, and Sol, well, let's just say he was never going to look the same as he did before, "I think that leaves two…"

"Then it has to be true! When Sol was defeated, the speed the guild was writing at decreased!"

"Whoa, really?"

"It must be powered from all Four Elements then! If we can defeat the Element Four, then we can prevent the guild from attacking!"

"That thing is really powered by the Element Four?"

"It has to be." She nodded determinedly, "Now, we don't have much time. The other two must be somewhere inside there."

Cana smiled and sighed as she rested for a moment to look up at Mirajane, "Mira's alright…thank god…" She laughed, but it was cut short as she was hit in the back of the head. She grunted and fell to one knee, clutching her head.

"Cana!" Macao shouted, running over.

"I'm fine…." She slowly got up again, "Go back to helping them, Macao, I'll be fine!" She got more cards out.

Macao nodded, "Jeez, the women of our guild sure are impressive."

* * *

"I just had a good idea, Happy!" Natsu said as the two of them were running through the giant machine.

"What is it?" Happy asked.

"If we just beat up Jose, we win, right?"

"What?" Happy gasped, "Jose's just as strong as the Master, there's no way you'd win!"

"But we don't have gramps. That means someone else will have to do it…"

"Aw…" Happy wilted, "Why did you remind me…?" He sighed, "Without Master Makarov and Erza, Jose will win in end, no matter what we do…"

"Hey, don't forget about me!" Natsu smiled.

"Aye!" Happy said. It surprised him, even though Erza and Makarov were leagues ahead of him, Natsu had this, natural strength and spirit that inspires the guild to keep fighting, no matter what.

"It's so sad!" A voice said, as Aria teleported in front of them, "Wings of fire will burnout and slow be rendered into ash." He held his hands out, "I'm afraid I will be burying a dragon today…"

"Who is this clown?" Natsu asked.

"That's Aria of the Element Four!" Happy shivered.

"I am the leader of the Element Four." Aria said, "Say your prayers, little dragon…"

* * *

Gray was looking around the entire machine, trying to find a mechanism of some sort to stop the Abyss Break, then he felt his head, "Huh? Rain?" He asked.

"Steady and gentle." Gray heard as he climbed up a rafter onto the roof of a part of the guild. "Yes, I am Juvia, the rain-woman of the Element Four. Steady and gentle."

"Element Four?" Gray half-smiled, "Well, how lucky am I? Maybe you'll be able to be of use to me."

"It is surprising how two of the Element Four have been defeated. However." She shifted her weight to the other leg, "I will not be defeated as easily."

He held his hands out, "Look, even if you are a girl, I'm not pulling my punches. Not against someone who's after my friend!"

She gave him the same emotionless look. Watching the rain water slowly slip down his face, down his jawline, down his neck and down his chest, the rest was covered by a white button down, which started looking more and more see through with the rain water. His slick black hair shone even more in the rain, his determined eyes glistening. Her cheeks suddenly blushed bright pink as she turned on her heels, "Well then, I give up. You win. Goodbye!" She started walking off.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gray's jaw dropped, "Get back here!"

Juvia stopped and clutched her chest, _What is wrong with me? Why is my heart beating so fast? What is this feeling?_

"Wait! I have to stop the giant!" Gray ran after her.

 _I have to make him mine…I can't stop now!_ "Water lock!" She cried, a bubble of water encapsulated Gray.

Gray flinched and coughed up water.

Juvia gasped as she watched blood fill the water from an old wound he had, "No, he was hurt! How could I be so selfish! I'll have to undo the magic!" She held her hands out.

Gray growled and froze the water lock solid, eventually breaking out of it.

She gasped, her heart pounding even faster, "You…froze my water…?" She asked, _I never met anyone that could break my water spells…Ice and water…he and I….could it be fated…?_ Her eyes sparkled.

"Alright…you're a much more impressive wizard than I first thought…" He took his shirt off, feeling his bandaged wound and grimacing.

Her face turned bright red, _He's taking his clothes off so soon? But I'm not ready yet!_

"Ice-Make…Lance!" He shot out hundreds of icy spears at Juvia.

The spears all pierced right through her, splashing all over the place.

Juvia looked down in shame as her body had gaping holes here and there, which only reformed into her body, "My body is made of water….steady and gentle…" She whispered the last clause.

"What…made of water…?" Gray looked shocked.

 _He attacked me…well, of course he did._ She answered her own conscious, _I cannot allow myself to be disheartened._ She held her hands up, prepared to attack, "Farewell flower bud of love! Water slicer!" She whipped her hands out, thin streams of water launched out towards Gray.

"What the heck is she talking about…?" Gray wondered quietly, then he just barely dodged the attack. The large metal column it did hit was sliced in half. He panted, "Ice-Make…Battle Axe!" He tried to slash at Juvia with an icy axe, but again, it went right through her water body.

"You cannot defeat me." She said, for once being serious, "But I can save your guild's lives. If you bring me the Emerald Knight, I'll ensure his safety while ending this battle peacefully. I understand my Master's hands might be untrustworthy, but I will be more responsible than he. And once I give him to Caesar, then I can convince the Master to end this attack."

"Don't you give me that crap!" Gray snapped, "You and I both know we're past the point of no return! The Emerald Knight, no, Ant, he's one of us. And I'd gladly put my life on the line so you guys stop messing with him!"

Her eyes narrowed, despite the beating of her heart. Her mind flashed back to an earlier time in her life, a colder time.

 _Juvia looked up from her seat at the small wooden table she sat at. The house was a mess, the walls falling apart, there was a single table in the kitchen with two chairs, and bowl of old looking bread in the center of the table. Other than that, the kitchen just had windows. No oven, no counters, no refrigerator, no cabinets. That was the entire first floor of her house. Above that was a single bedroom, with a mattress that laid on the floor, and windows. The floor and walls were crawling with bugs, and the ceiling constantly dripped, but Juvia loved her house._

" _Mama!" Juvia sat up as her mother walked through the door with a smile. Her mother's dark blue locks and warm eyes smiled down on her as she put a basket on the table, "Is that breakfast?" Juvia asked as she stood up on her chair, too tiny to see from sitting._

" _Mmm hmm." Her mother's voice was smooth and flawless, "Bread and apples."_

" _Apples? Really?"_

" _Really." She took out two, "Here you are, sweet pea."_

 _"I get two?"_

" _Mmm hmm."_

 _"You're the best, Mama!" She hugged her mother._

 _Her mother squeezed her back, "Thank your uncle."_

" _Did uncle get better? Is he still sick?"_

 _Juvia's mother was in no mood to explain to her five year old daughter what death was, let alone what inheritance was, "He's all better."_

 _"Yay! Can we visit him sometime? Please? He always gave me sweets!"_

 _She bit her lip, "Soon, Juvia."_

 _"Mama?"_

" _Yes?" She said, breaking the hug and picking up one of the apples, grabbing a knife from her back pocket and slicing it up for her daughter._

" _Where's Daddy?"_

 _Dead in a ditch, was really the answer, but of course, her mother told her, "On a job."_

 _"Another one?" She giggled, "Are we gonna have enough money for a-hundred apples when he gets back?"_

 _Her mother couldn't help but laugh, "I don't know what we would do with that many apples."_

 _"I do." Juvia said as her mother handed her a slice and she ate it. "Apple pies."_

 _"I promise you I'll make apple pies until my hands fall off, if we ever find the money for that many."_

 _"Yay!" Juvia laughed._

 _Suddenly, there was a banging on the door. Her mother stiffened and stood up straight, tightening her tie and dusting off her shirt, old blood stains were still clearly visible, but there was nothing she could do about it. She stuck her knife back in her back pocket, "Juvia, go upstairs."_

 _"But Mama-_

" _Now, Juvia."_

 _Juvia wilted and skittered upstairs. She peeked downstairs through the dilapidated railings, careful not to break them._

 _Her mother opened the door, a silhouette was all Juvia could make out. "…who are you?" Juvia's mother asked. She used the same deep voice that Juvia hated, it was the voice she used when the tax collector threatened to evict them, when the kids threw stones at their house, and when 'the bad men' came to 'collect' her mother._

" _Beth Lockser, correct?" A wiry voice asked._

" _Who's asking?" Her mother squeezed the knife in her back pocket._

" _Magnolia Family Services. It's unwise to be so hasty with that weapon."_

 _She crossed her arms, "What do you want?" She demanded._

 _The man held out a suitcase. Juvia couldn't see what was inside, but she was curious, "Your daughter."_

 _There was a still silence that filled the house, "But why?"  
"Her magic power is incredible. Clearly inherited from her father's side. Regardless, if you give her to us, we'll keep her fed and safe, and you can take this as a suitable payment. It's for the best, don't you think?"_

 _Another silence. Juvia's heart pounded so loud, she thought the whole house was shaking from it. She was confused, what was he offering? What was going on? All she knew was this man wanted to take her away from her house, and her mother._

 _Her mother reached out and took the suitcase, "She's upstairs."_

 _A grin appeared on the man's face. "Thank you, Beth. You've made the right choice." He walked into her house and headed upstairs, kneeling down to Juvia's level, "Hello little girl." His grin was far too big for his face, "Would you like to come with me on an adventure?"_

 _Tears rimmed her eyes, "Mama…?"_

 _"Go on, Juvia. I won't be gone forever, I'll visit every day." Her mother crossed her arms, "Sometimes money is more important than family."_

 _She swallowed hard and gave a little nod as the man took her hand and lead her outside to the adoption center. That was the last time she saw her mother, before she read about her mother's kidnapping and murder in the newspaper. That was when it started raining._

Juvia's eyes burned as she remembered her mother's words. She clenched her fists, "Stop being so naïve and hand him over."

"Are you nuts? I said no!" Gray said.

Her clothes started bristling as the air pressure around her changed, and the wind picked up, "This is your last chance…." She said lowly, "This is a sacrifice worth making, if you don't want your home destroyed, as well as all the people in it."

"I'll give you a last chance, Ice-Make…Lance!" He fired off more icy lances at her, but they simply dissolved again.

She growled, then she screamed as a gush of boiling water flew from her hands. While her eyes were blind, too absorbed in anger, the gush of boiling water was deadly accurate as it flew towards Gray, traveling through the air like a snake any time he dodged.

"Ice-Make…" Gray screamed as the boiling water hit him, "What the hell? Why is this water so hot? My maker magic can't keep up with that…" He jumped back, panting, "Ice-Make Shield!" He cast a shield and held it over his head, "No…you gotta be kidding me…my shield's wearing away…it's too hot…"

"You will burn for making me remember!" She screamed, her face was all he could see at the head of the gush of water.

"Wait, remember what?" He asked as he was practically drowned with boiling water, "Damn it…this is too hot…" He grimaced as he felt his wound burn with pain. "I've had enough of you!" He growled, "Freeze!" He began to freeze all of her water, running up at her in an attempt to freeze her solid.

Juvia's eyes shrunk, "No, it's impossible, how can he freeze boiling water!?" She asked, shivering as Gray laughed. He froze more and more of her gush of water until he got to the heart of it, and Juvia blushed, _I should really be angry he froze my boiling water…but…_ She looked down at his hand gripped onto one of her breasts.

Gray screamed like a girl, "Ah! I didn't mean it!"

"Please stay there…right where you are…" She bit her lip and whispered so quietly, Gray couldn't hear over his screams.

"I'm sorry!" He released her from his spell.

She fell to her hands and knees in front of him, _He released me from his ice…he's…simply too kind…_ Her watery eyes looked up at his.

"Let…let's just start over…okay?"

"No…" She swallowed hard, "I cannot cause you harm."

"What?" Gray asked, "What do you mean, can't cause me harm? Are you trying to say that you stand no chance against me?"

"No…I…want to protect you…" She looked down at the floor. "I'm stronger than most of your guild."

"Protect me? I…I don't get it, from what?"

"Well…I….I mean….that…I…." She floundered, "…lo…..lo….lo-

"Jeez, this rain just won't let up!" Gray complained.

"This is so frustrating!" Juvia exclaimed.

"This rain…it's just so gloomy!"

Her pupils shrunk and her head fell, like a marionette pet that had a cord cut. _He's…the same…_

She trembled with rage, then puffed up again, her clothes and hair swaying in the wind of the hot air she created, "You're the same!" She screamed.

"What?" Gray backed away in shock, then his face hardened, "Alright, fine, if you want another round, let's go!"

She gave a fierce roar, "I don't need anyone's love!" Her body turned into another powerful rush of boiling water and shot at him.

Gray yelled out as he was hit, "Alright…I'll just freeze it again…shit! Is this water even hotter than before?"

Juvia's mind travelled back in the past as she watched Gray get burned.

 _She stood in the doorway of the orphanage, which also acted as a school to the children who weren't adopted. Still a bit groggy, she wiped sleep from her eyes as she heard children laughing._

" _I wish Juvia would get adopted one of these days so she'd go away."_

 _"Yeah, it always rains when she's around, it's so annoying."_

 _She recalled sitting in her room that night, with cloth, cotton, thread and a needle, creating a_ _teru teru bōzu. "Please keep the rain away from me, okay?" She hugged it when it was finished. "No one will like me if you don't…none of the other kids…and no mommies or daddies either…"_

Her mind flashed back to another time, years later, after she had moved into an apartment with someone a friend hooked her up with.

 _It was her first boyfriend, of course, her heart skipped a beat every time she saw him, picturing their future together. They were walking through the courtyard in the apartment complex, it was so high quality because her boyfriend could afford it. There was a silence between them as he walked, until he gave an irritated sigh._

" _What's the matter, dear?" She looked up at him._

" _Why is it always raining? It's driving me crazy. We can't go fishing or camping, I don't even want to be with you at all if it's going to be this gloomy all the time. I think we should see other people." He said, walking away before she could even say a word._

 _That was the day she went to Phantom Lord, the guild her mother said her father had worked at. They supplied her a home, food, and most importantly, they didn't care about the rain. She was one of the most powerful mages Jose had ever seen, and he wouldn't pass her by._

"I am one of the Element Four…" She seethed, "An Element Four wizard of Phantom Lord!"

"And I am not going to lose from anyone in Phantom Lord!" Gray yelled, freezing all of the water around him solid, even the rain turned into little chunks of ice.

 _He turned my rain to ice?_ Juvia wondered, _What kind of power do these Fairy Tail wizards possess?_

"Ice Geyser!" Gray launched a massive beam of ice that shattered all over Juvia.

Juvia gave a cry of pain so loud, Gray almost had to cover his ears. She hit the ground hard, the air slipped from her lungs as she did. Her eyes stayed wide open as she stared up, "Did…I…lose…?"

"Well, that cooled your temper a bit." Gray smiled, as the clouds began to fade away.

Juvia looked up at the sky, "Is that…." Her eyes widened, "….the sky…?"

"Yeah, looks like the rain finally cleared up." His smile grew.

"Blue sky…" She said, then her eyes filled with tears and she sniffed, trying to sit up, "It's….beautiful…"

"So…" Gray looked at her, "Did you wanna go another round with me?"

Her heart pounded so hard that she fell over again, hitting the ground hard. Her teru teru bōzu laid on the ground not too far away, no longer attached to her chest.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He looked worried, "You feeling sick or something?"

* * *

 **A/N:** The seeds of Gruvia have been planted… ;) I hope you liked this chapter, let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading! I'll see what I can do in terms of finishing this arc but I've got a lot of impending work and essays coming up so it may be a while before Phantom Lord is vanquished. Until next time :)


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:** Here's chapter twenty six! (Triple update, WHAT?) Thank you blazingpheonix123 for your review! This chapter has a lot of tiny little scenes, sorry if they're annoying. Speaking of annoying, I'm going to try and stay away from friendship power-ups, unless they're absolutely necessary, so some of the fights may vary a little bit. Hope you like this chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

The wizards of Fairy Tail looked up in horror as the giant slowly continued drawing the spell, "Damn it…that thing looks like it's just about done…" Macao said.

"If it finishes, we're screwed!" Wakaba said.

"It…sure does look like it's working turtle-like…" A female guild member said, with long purple hair, glasses, a white shirt and black pants.

"You're right, Laki…all we can do is hope for the best…." Cana swallowed hard, "Natsu and Gray are up there doing what they do best."

* * *

"Gray!" Elfman said as he and Mirajane ran over towards him.

"Elfman?" Gray asked, "And Mira? What are you guys doing here?"

Elfman looked at Juvia's body, "Is this one of the Element Four?"

"Yeah, that's right." Gray said.

"Why does she have that creepy grin on her face?"

"We're…not gonna talk about that right now…"

"So there's only one more left!" Mirajane cheered.

"The giant gets its magic power from the Element Four." Elfman explained to Gray.

"We still have some time then." Mirajane found her smile again, "We can do this."

* * *

Natsu panted for a while, quite bloodied and weakened.

"It seems after all that you are able to stand." Aria said, "That is an impressive feat in itself."

Happy swallowed hard, looking overall terrified at this one-sided match.

"Damn it!" Natsu charged at Aria with a flaming fist.

"Unfortunately for you nothing can stand up against my airspace magic!" Aria blasted a large gust of wind, Natsu screamed and fell back.

Natsu spit up a little blood and stood up.

"Back again? Quite a durable one, you are, Salamander."

"I won't lose! I'm a Fairy Tail wizard!" Natsu said.

"You'll find that my airspace magic is from the likes of which you've never seen…"

"Whatever…a wind wizard, I've fought your kind before…"

"But he's a lot stronger than Erigor…" Happy said.

"Now I'm fired up!" Natsu said, flaring up.

"Airspace magic, eradicate!" Aria held a hand out and horde of flashing explosions pelted Natsu. Natsu screamed and fell back, looking worse by the second.

Happy swallowed hard. It made sense as to why this man was leader of the Element Four. You couldn't even see his attacks.

"There's always someone better than you, young dragon slayer." Aria said.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu blasted his flaming breath at Aria.

Aria teleported away.

"Damn it, where did he go?"

"It is over, Salamander." Aria reappeared right behind Natsu, "I shall grant you the same cleansing that I gave your master Makarov." He held both palms out, "Airspace magic, Drain!"

Natsu screamed in agony as he felt all his magic power fading away.

"Natsu!" Happy teared up.

"Your magic will fade away into thin air!" Aria boomed.

Suddenly, a figure came flying out from the sky. It was Erza. She landed right in front of Aria, her sword out, her armor on. However, she still looked exhausted, blood stains and bruises covered whatever exposed skin there was. As she landed, she reared back and slashed into Aria.

Aria fell back and coughed up blood.

"Erza!" Happy cheered.

"Hey…" Natsu said weakly, "You're injured…y-you sure you should be up here with us…?"

"This is the man that hurt our Master…" She said lowly.

"It's so sad." Aria said, "I thought I was only getting Salamander's head today. But Titania is now offering hers as well." He said as he felt his new wound.

"This is the man that dared to attack our Master…" Erza's sword shone with his blood.

"Well, well, well…" Aria took his blindfold off, "If it's Erza I'm fighting…then I may as well get serious…"

* * *

"His eyes?" Gray asked.

"Yes, Aria usually keeps his eyes closed or bandaged to keep his magic power in check. He has so much, and it's so powerful, it's easy to lose control." Mirajane said.

"What does that even mean?" Elfman asked.

"It doesn't matter! Just take him down before he opens his eyes! If he does, you may very well lose your sanity!"

* * *

The symbol the machine had worked so hardly to create was finished. The Abyss Break was about to be cast.

"I…I think it's done!" Macao said.

"We're screwed…" Wakaba muttered.

"Is this it…?" Cana fell to her knees, her head throbbing as tears started to line her eyelids.

* * *

"Now, Erza!" Aria's blindfold fluttered in the air, revealing bright magenta eyes, split into fourths, almost like a targeting system, "I will now cast true airspace!" He held his hands out, "This spell shall suck away the life of all my opponents!" As wind began to furiously blow from him, Natsu and Happy grimaced and flew back.

"How is it so easy for you all to take lives with such ease!?" Erza screamed with as much voice as she could.

"Now the fun begins!" Aria grinned, "Let's see how you take my Airspace: Zero!" He blasted a volley of wind so powerful, that it exploded all around Erza.

"Erza!" Natsu cried out.

She swung her sword through his air, running through it effortlessly, like he wasn't doing a thing.

"What's this?" Aria gasped, "Impossible…s-she's cutting through my airspace…it's my most powerful magic!"

As a gust of wind cleared itself from his field of view, he saw Erza in her Heaven's Wheel armor. "Heaven's Wheel, Blood Sea!" She cried, her swords flying out and stabbing into Aria all over.

Natsu and Happy exchanged a terrified glance as Aria coughed up a lot of blood and slammed against the ground, his wounded body not moving after that.

Erza glared down at Aria's body, her head held up high, "That should take you down off your high horse." She spat, "And ensure you will never get back on."

* * *

"Everyone get down!" Macao said.

"I don't think this is the kind of spell that will spare us if we duck!" Wakaba said.

Suddenly the machine buckled and shook with a loss of power, the shining emblem for Abyss Break faded and the machine collapsed where it stood.

"They did it…" Cana sighed.

The guild burst out with laughter and cheering, happy beyond belief.

Erza's eyes melted as she fell on the unstable floors, fainting.

"Erza, no!" Natsu went by her side.

"I don't believe it!" Jose snapped, "My Element Four were taken out by the Fairy Tail upstarts!"

* * *

The Emerald Knight slowly woke up in a dingy lit storehouse, "Where…where am I?" He asked.

"I was worried that you would never wake up." Reedus smiled.

He sighed, able to see the destruction from their safe house, "This is all my fault…"

"No one thinks it's your fault, Ant. Didn't Mira tell you that?"

She did, but, that didn't stop the guilt. Caesar was going to pay for this.

The door crashed down, the second it did, Reedus protectively stood in front of the Emerald Knight, "Who's there?"

"I had a feeling you'd be hiding here." Gajeel snickered.

"Ant, run." Reedus said.

"But you can't take him alone!" The Emerald Knight protested.

"Ant, my job is to keep you safe, now go!"

The Emerald Knight nodded and started running away, but then he heard the sound of a man crying out and a crushing sound, then he just heard Gajeel's voice, "Going to let fatty take the fall for you? Now, that isn't very nice."

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard and held his hands out, "So you're Gajeel, I take it?"

Gajeel laughed, "What, are you gonna fight me with your bare hands? Cause that'll end faster than the blink of an eye, pal!"

"Well I'm certainly not running away from the likes of you."

"Ooh, tough guy, huh? We'll see how tough you are after this!" He lunged an iron club after him.

The Emerald Knight felt his vision get blurred as the iron club pounded him in the chest. He coughed up blood and fell back. With his armor, he would have barely felt a thing, but right now he could barely get up.

Gajeel snickered like a madman as he pinned the Emerald Knight down, "See? Wasn't that fast?"

The Emerald Knight wrestled for control, he pulled a hand out and went to punch Gajeel in the chest, but Gajeel held his iron club out and the Emerald Knight punched that instead. The Emerald Knight screamed in pain.

Gajeel picked him up and threw him through the wall, "Are you sure you're a knight? Cause you're acting a lot more like a princess to me!" He laughed, "Say goodbye!" He reared a club back.

"No, don't…" The Emerald Knight held his hands out, but Gajeel clubbed him over the head, knocking him out.

Gajeel slung the Emerald Knight's light body over his shoulder, starting to run off.

"Where do you think you're going with Ant?" A voice asked.

Gajeel turned around to see Loke, "Damn it…how many fairies from the peanut gallery do I have to fight today?" He threw the Emerald Knight's body aside, "Let's do this, pretty-boy." He shot out an iron club.

Loke moved out of the way with astonishing speed, then he charged at Gajeel with a golden fist, "Regulus Impact!"

Gajeel stumbled back as he was hit, "What the hell kind of magic does this guy use?" He muttered to himself.

Loke went for another punch, but he suddenly paused, his spirit fading right before Gajeel's eyes, "No…not now!"

Gajeel smirked darkly, once he hit Loke with a few barrages of iron clubs, he was down too, "Well, I guess you aren't anything special, I've gotta deliver this punk to the master." He picked the Emerald Knight back up and left.

Loke panted heavily, trying to get back up, but he couldn't. "I was…I was just too scared of him…if I wasn't so scared, I could've prevented the attack, but my fear held me back! I…I guess I really am pathetic…aren't I, Karen?"

* * *

"So, the Element Four have been taken out, huh?" Gajeel asked as he entered Jose's quarters, "If they were beaten by garbage, I guess they're somehow worse than garbage, huh?" He snickered, "If this is how it was going to play out in the end, you should've just sent me from the start."

"Gajeel?" Jose turned around.

"I brought you a present." He threw the Emerald Knight's body on the ground.

"You found the Emerald Knight? How?"

"He has the weirdest scent I've ever smelled. Even if the bastard left Fiore, I could probably still track him."

"But…he's alive…right?" Jose asked, "Caesar won't give us anything if he's not alive…"

"Hmm, well, let's see…" He kicked the Emerald Knight with such force that he slammed against the wall, unconsciously coughing up blood.

Gajeel laughed, "Sounds like he's alive and kicking to me…can't say the same for the rest of those idiots that were guarding him though."

Jose laughed darkly, "I always knew you were my best wizard! That's Black Steel Gajeel for you!" He then spoke through his speaker to the guild below, "Attention Fairy Tail! We have captured the Emerald Knight!"

"What?" Gray asked.

Mirajane gasped, "How…how did they find him!?"

"Which means we've achieved the first of our goals." Jose snickered.

"No, let me go!" The Emerald Knight screamed over the microphone.

"Come now, settle down…your ways of life and fighting style are so archaic, you and your little friend Caesar belong in a museum…"

"Stop it!" Mirajane screamed, her eyes flooded with tears once again.

"Our goal of killing all you pathetic little brats!" Jose announced, then he shoved the Emerald Knight towards Gajeel, "Watch him for me. There are still some insects scuttling around in my guildhall. I'm going to show them that they can no longer rely on miracles to save them! I'm going to kill them all!" He left.

* * *

"Those bastards…" Natsu fumed, holding the unconscious Erza.

"Natsu…" Her eyes slowly opened, "I'm…not going to be able to get up…by myself…" She admitted, even Natsu felt it was strange she was being so vulnerable, "You…need to fill in my place…understand?" She took a shaky breath, "Until I get a healer…you need to step up for me…"

"Erza…you…you can't be serious…"

"I'm dead serious…" She caught her breath, "I almost wish I wasn't…" She closed her eyes but kept speaking, "The Emerald Knight…he's part of our family now, right? And you were the one that….that brought him into our guild…I really…think it makes the most sense for you to save him anyway…." She gave a little smile, "Just this once…Natsu….pretend you're me…an S-Class wizard….do everything you can to stop them…I'll turn a blind eye…"

He gave a slight nod, gently setting her down, as fire covered his body, he ran off with Happy to take down whatever was in their way.

"Erza!" Gray cried out, as he Elfman, and Mirajane ran in, "What happened here?"

"She…couldn't have fought with those wounds, could she?" Elfman asked.

"Did you take down Aria?" Mirajane asked.

Erza gave a proud smile where she lay on the ground, "…Mmm hmm…but…the fight is far from over…"

A wave of cold death spread amongst the four of them, giving a huge remnant of darkness as the breeze faded.

"What…what is this feeling?" Gray asked, "It's cold…even for _me_ …"

"I feel chills no man should feel!" Elfman said.

"What is this…?" Erza whimpered.

"I don't know…" Mirajane shuddered, hating the feeling of being so clueless.

Clapping could be heard next, as Jose entered the room, "Excellent work, children. Honestly, I never thought you would give me so much fun!" He laughed.

"Is he the master of Phantom?" Elfman asked.

"Now, I must give you an appropriate reward for giving me such enjoyment. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll all love it." He snickered. He launched a devastating aura of purple magic, it smacked into Gray and Elfman, they both screamed and smashed against the wall, their bloodied bodies collapsed in an unconscious heap.

"Elf! Gray!" Mirajane screamed.

Erza weakly sat up, adrenaline left a bitter taste in her mouth as she stirred.

Jose laughed madly, blasting away Mirajane next, he then aimed for Erza.

Erza ran forward, preparing to requip as she saw him prepare an attack. _I hope my fleeting magic listens to me…_

"I saw you take a full blast of Jupiter." Jose said, amused, "How are you even standing right now?"

She panted a bit, standing in her Black Wing Armor. "Sometimes it takes a bit of pain and discomfort to put out the darkness."

Jose chuckled a bit more, his eyes darkened until they were a soulless black, "You're so strong, courageous, and beautiful…it's a shame that I'll have to kill you where you stand!"

* * *

Gajeel punched the bruised and bloodied Emerald Knight into the wall again, laughing as he did so, "Come on, make some more noise than that!" He said.

"Gajeel…don't you think maybe you should give it a rest now…?" One of his guild mates piped up timidly.

"What else is there to do?" Gajeel frowned. He punched the Emerald Knight in the stomach and he coughed up more blood.

"Just stop it man, jeez!"

"Shut up." Gajeel swung an iron club at his guild mate and knocked him out, "I don't how big and bad this stupid knight thinks he is, he's just a pathetic royal weakling! It doesn't matter if he lives or dies!"

"But…but if he dies…the master will get really pissed at you…" Another guild mate said.

"Then I'll just say it was your idea."

"Please don't!" His fellow guild mates cowered.

"Jeez, this is stupid! The only reason those Fairy Tail dorks want him back is so they can get divine protection from Caesar and Fiore!"

The Emerald Knight pounded a fist in the ground.

"Hmm?" Gajeel turned around, "Well, look at that, you are still alive…"

The Emerald Knight gave a small smile, "It's a pity…I almost want to die, what with the alternative looking at your grubby, disgusting face. Hear that, knave? Or are you actually capable of showing mercy?"

There was a silence.

Gajeel narrowed his eyes, "You got the balls to be giving me attitude in that condition?"

"…well, you seem to think beating up an unarmed man without his suit of armor counts as some sort of victory for you. If that's how you win your battles, I must say the morale system of the esteemed Phantom Lord is very flawed."

"What did you say?" Gajeel growled.

"You heard me, or do you have scum in your ears too?" The Emerald Knight stood up, wobbling a bit, "If you want to boast and kill me, then I suggest you do it. I have someplace to be, a reunion rather. Someone is expecting to see me and she isn't part of this world anymore, so I want you to send me to her. Come on, do it, if you can't kill a simple human, then you don't really deserve to be called a dragon slayer, now do you?"

"You want to go to the other side?" Gajeel thundered, he ran at him with two iron clubs out on each arm, "I'll gladly take you there, bastard!"

"Gajeel, don't!" One of his guild mates said.

"You can't kill him!" Another said.

The ground below all their feet got very hot, and suddenly Natsu exploded out of the ground, "Gajeel!" He screeched at the top of his lungs, inside an inferno.

Gajeel smiled, "I knew I smelt you here, we have unfinished business, Salamander!"

Natsu didn't really have time to exchange a greeting, he gave Gajeel one merciless punch in the face after the other, Gajeel yelled and fell back, slamming through the wall.

The Emerald Knight gave a weak smile, he felt like a complete fool for wanting to go to Miranda. He should have had more faith in his friends, his family.

* * *

 **A/N:** Let's see if I can keep the Emerald Knight as far away from Miranda as possible ;) How was it? Let me know with a review! Thanks for reading! I'll do what I can with trying to finish the arc, but it might not be done until next week.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** Here's chapter twenty seven! Natsu vs. Gajeel, here we go! (I wonder how many pints of blood will be collectively shed in this chapter…)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Natsu kept mercilessly beating up Gajeel for a brief period of time, sending him flying through another wall.

"Ant? You okay?" Happy landed beside him.

The Emerald Knight panted, getting jarring bits of pain from every bruise and wound he felt, "Yes…I'm fine…" He said, as a formality if anything.

"Get outta my way!" Gajeel shoved his guild mates aside, causing most of them to run off, he then ran at Natsu, but Natsu again punched him the face, with such force that it sent him flying.

The Emerald Knight smiled. To see Natsu so riled up for someone as insignificant as him was really humbling, to say the least.

"Natsu's gonna kick his butt." Happy smiled, "I feel pretty bad for that other guy…"

"Don't get all high and mighty yet!" Gajeel ran at Natsu, "Iron Dragon's Club!" He launched one of his clubs at Natsu and hit him in the face.

Natsu skidded back, growling.

The Emerald Knight opposed Gajeel next, glaring at him.

Gajeel cocked an eyebrow, "What the hell are you looking at?" He launched a club at him, "This is a battel for men, not for a pathetic insect like you!"

The Emerald Knight ducked, again, his terrible height providing him with an advantage in this case at least. He wrapped his arms around his club and pulled.

"Hey!" Gajeel pulled back, "Let go, you bastard!"

"Natsu!" The Emerald Knight called, coughing up more blood.

"Fire Dragon's Talons!" While Gajeel was focused on the Emerald Knight, Natsu kicked him in the face with his flaming feet.

Gajeel growled and fell back, "Iron Dragon's Sword!" Instead of turning his arm into a club, this time it turned into a razor sword. He slashed Natsu at point blank range. Natsu screamed and fell back, he then slashed the Emerald Knight down. Both Fairy Tail wizards now had large bloody scars across their bodies.

"Damn…that hurt…" Natsu shook himself off.

The Emerald Knight ran at Gajeel, with nothing but pure instincts running its course. Without his armor, he had practically no method of dealing damage to Gajeel. He slid down low in an effort to sweep Gajeel and leave an opening for Natsu.

Sadly, Gajeel's legs were much sturdier than he expected, "How many times do I gotta tell you, stay out of this, you rat!" Gajeel turned around and clobbered the Emerald Knight with his club. The Emerald Knight tumbled back, twitching in pain.

"Ant, just stay back for now, I got this." Natsu said.

"Yeah…you don't look so good…just rest…" Happy said.

The Emerald Knight sat up, wheezing heavily. He was black, blue, and red on account of all the blood. But he didn't want to just _sit_ there. He wanted to help Natsu. It wasn't that he doubted Natsu's strength, he wanted to help his friend.

"Looks like we'll finally get to finish this Salamander!" Gajeel smiled.

"I'm all fired up now, rivet-face." Natsu smiled back.

The Emerald Knight shuddered. Now he felt really bad for even trying to involve himself in the fight. It was between two dragon slayers. Engines of destruction that could kill giant sacred monsters with ease. He felt like a mortal trying to intervene in a battle between gods, of course he was swatted away in seconds.

Gajeel clenched his fists as a green glow surrounded him. It wasn't long until he was covered in metal.

"Are those dragon scales?" Happy gasped.

Gajeel punched Natsu in the face, blood exploded everywhere and Natsu fell back.

The Emerald Knight tried to stand up again. He knew Gajeel would have a trick up his sleeve. Natsu needed help.

"Those scales…they're made of steel…" Happy said.

Gajeel lashed a kick out at Natsu, Natsu avoided this attack, but the shockwave from Gajeel's kick smashed down a hole in the room, then entire side of the wall blew up. The scraps of Phantom members watching cheered at Gajeel getting the upper hand.

Natsu growled and punched Gajeel in the face with a flaming fist.

Gajeel smiled even as he was punched, "Aw…did I hurt your little hand, Salamander?"

Natsu screamed at the top of his lungs, his knuckles scraped and bloodied now.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, Natsu definitely needed help now. But, if the Emerald Knight was hit with a serious attack one more time, even a basic club attack, he could die. But on the other hand, what was more important? _Him_ dying, or he and his guild dying? He knew the answer to that, but pain screamed at him whenever he tried to get up. He struggled, but it was no good, he would have to conserve a bit of strength before he got up again.

"Fire Dragon's…" Natsu started.

"Iron Dragon's…" Gajeel started.

Happy and the Emerald Knight exchanged a glance.

"Roar!" They both used their breath attacks at once. A flaming and iron breath collided and exploded. Most of the Phantom Lord members cried out as they flew around the battlefield with the force of the explosion. The Emerald Knight held a hand up ad grimaced at the sheer might of the attack.

The smoke slowly but surely began to clear, "Looks like we get to see which dragon's stronger, eh Salamander?" Gajeel asked, letting out a few snickers, "You could blow your hot air all over me as much as you want, but it's not gonna crack my steel armor!" He chuckled more as Natsu's condition looked worse by the minute, "On the other hand, _one_ of my breath attacks will cut you to shreds!"

"He's really strong…" Happy said nervously.

"What's that pal? You might wanna check again." Natsu said.

Gajeel's eyes widened as some of his armor cracked and chipped off.

"My fire isn't just any old ordinary fire! The flames of a fire dragon can destroy a lot more than you give it credit for!" He flared up, "If you don't start giving me everything you got, I'm gonna burn you to pieces, Black Steel Gajeel!"

"You mean they were just playing around before?" A phantom guild mate asked.

"They haven't actually started trying yet?" Another one asked.

"They're monsters! Monsters!" A third said.

"The sky ain't big enough for two dragons." Gajeel said, "So I'm gonna erase one of them right here and now, Salamander!"

The Emerald Knight looked outward towards the huge view Gajeel inadvertently created when he busted the hole in the wall. It seemed the phantoms Jose created were destroying the guild hall. Many of the Fairy Tail wizards had given up hope, if they were not completely defeated. What surprised him the most was seeing Cana on her knees crying. He despised that woman but yet he couldn't stand seeing her cry. It must have been the team solidarity he was feeling. He wished so much that he could be down there right now, helping her and everyone else fight, but without his armor, he was useless to everyone. He faced ahead, towards the battle again. Even if they did defeat Gajeel, which would require a hell of a lot of luck on its own, would that truly end this?

Natsu and Gajeel roared, punching each other in the face at speeds which was almost too fast to comprehend. Every other punch send Phantom Lord members flying overhead as if they were confetti. Honestly the Emerald Knight had to worry more about them then he did Gajeel striking him out of the blue.

Even for all his plating, Natsu was punching through him as if he wasn't wearing armor at all. But Natsu didn't exactly look the healthiest either. Both men had more blood leaking out of them with every punch.

"He's keeping up with Gajeel…with _Gajeel_!" A Phantom wizard exclaimed.

The Emerald Knight's green eyes hardened. Still unable to get up, every twist and turn put his heart on edge. Not one of them was constantly winning at a time. The power balance would switch every half-moment or so.

Gajeel grabbed Natsu's tunic, pulling his head back and slamming it into his face. Natsu screamed and fell back. It took him a while to get up after that one. Both dragon slayers were panting quite a bit as their eyes burned with a hatred towards the other.

"Is…is Gajeel losing…?" A Phantom member asked.

"No…Salamander looks just as bad…" Another member said.

Gajeel grabbed a bunch of the scrap around him, luckily for him, this entire machine was made of metal. He started vigorously stuffing his face.

The Emerald Knight's eyes widened, "He…he's eating iron…"

"You jerk, that's not fair!" Natsu said, "No eating!"

Gajeel snickered for a while, "Now _I_ got a fire in _my_ belly…"

"Hey, that's my line!" Natsu snapped.

"Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs!" Gajeel shot his metal arm out like a very sharp sword, stabbing Natsu hundreds of times. Natsu fell back, covered in blood.

"No…don't tell me…it's as if he's back to full fighting strength…no, it can't be!" The Emerald Knight felt his heart race.

Happy nodded with tears in his eyes, "When a dragon slayer eats his element, he recovers and even gets some of his magic power back!"

The Emerald Knight trembled in fear. _No! This can't be how it ends…I need to figure out a way to get Natsu some fire, immediately! If I cannot fight, that will be the next best thing!_ He got up weakly. Happy yelled at him to sit back down, but he didn't listen. He kept looking around, for any sort of loose embers on the ground. Then he squinted ahead, seeing a large electrical apparatus on the opposite end of the room. _Electrical equipment?_ He mused, limping over to the other side of the room.

"Ant! It's not safe over here. Get back!" Natsu warned.

"But-

Gajeel almost punched Natsu's lights out. The Emerald Knight gasped and dove for cover, panting a bit.

"Fire Dragon's Sword-horn!" Natsu flung himself at Gajeel coated in flames. But the second he made contact with Gajeel, his flames puttered and died out.

Gajeel grabbed Natsu by the neck, "I may have a fire in my belly, but where's yours, Salamander?" He slammed Natsu in the ground, grinding the iron floor in his mouth, "Why don't you eat some iron?" He laughed crazily.

"So Gajeel _is_ stronger, I thought so." A Phantom member said.

The Emerald Knight blinked away a tear or two. It couldn't end like this. He kept limping his way towards the power equipment.

"Looks like I got no use for you anymore." Gajeel said, "Our little match is over, so get lost, scumbag!" He tossed Natsu aside, Natsu landed by the big hole that led to the outside.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, with Natsu gone, Gajeel would most likely start attacking him again.

"Aw…look at your guild out there…" Gajeel mocked, "I guess my guild is out there doing a little redecorating!" He laughed and laughed.

* * *

"Whoa…this place is huge!" Natsu cheered, "So this is where wizards train and meet up?"

"That's right, it's called Fairy Tail." Makarov pat the young Natsu's back.

"Fairy…Tail?"

"Nobody knows if fairies have tails or not. No one even knows if fairies exist. That's why it will forever be a mystery, an adventure! That meaning is infused within these guild walls."

Natsu also remembered all of the people he first met on that day.

"Who do you think you are?" A young, practically naked Gray asked.

"Gray, your clothes!" Cana reprimanded.

"I'm Erza, nice to meet you." The young Erza smiled studiously.

"So, what do you think of the guild, Natsu?" Makarov smiled.

"I like it!" Natsu said, "I want to be a member of this place someday!"

* * *

Natsu stood up weakly, walking over to Gajeel and panting heavily.

"Whoa…he got up!" A Phantom member said.

The Emerald Knight shuddered, he hurried over to the equipment. But even then, what would he do? If he had his lance, he could probably cause a fire by slashing at it in five seconds, but without it…

"Your guild is in shambles, and you lost." Gajeel snickered.

Natsu wearily raised a fist up, but Gajeel slammed him back with his own punch, Natsu went flying.

The Emerald Knight growled and started tearing back electrical panels, his strained muscles screamed in pain as he did so.

"Just stay down, Salamander!" Gajeel kept punching and kicking Natsu around.

The Emerald Knight's eyes darted around to all sorts of wires lined up. He started pulling at them, ripping them apart. Once he did, he received quite a painful electric shock. He yelled out. At least now he knew how his enemies felt when he shocked them…

Gajeel laughed at him, "Looks like your knight friend's has given up and is trying to kill himself over there! And speaking of dying, it's about time I kill you too!"

"He destroyed Jupiter…and he took on two of the Element Four…if he could just eat some fire, Natsu would be on equal footing to this guy!" Happy cried.

The Emerald Knight shook with fear. Happy was right, the tables would be turned, was he too pathetic to do this _one_ thing for Natsu, after all the good Natsu has done for him in his time in Fairy Tail? But if he kept up at it like this, he would only keep shocking him. He needed more force to cause an explosion. But, he was too weak to do that without his armor.

He looked out to the Fairy Tail guildhall. It was complete rubble now. Everyone in the ground was sobbing their eyes at. It seemed they were defeated. Cana crying seemed to catch his eyes the most however. As annoying and despicable as she was, he felt sorry for her. This entire war was essentially his fault. And if push came to shove, he would rather spend time with Cana over this iron freak-show any day.

Iron freak-show. He just had an idea. And a certain buffoon was going to help him with it.

The Emerald Knight walked over to Gajeel, panting with rage no instead of fear. His back was turned as he was busy facing off with Natsu, but the Emerald Knight put a change to that. He grabbed Gajeel's long hair and tugged him back, so that his weary eyes and Gajeel's dark red eyes could meet.

Gajeel growled, "You little…" He launched an iron club at the Emerald Knight, but he jumped out of the way. Gajeel's club instead smashed a rafter to pieces.

Something snapped in his body as he jumped as high as he did. He flinched and stayed in place as his shook in pain, unable to dodge Gajeel's next attack.

Gajeel smashed him with an iron club, slamming him into the wall. One of the Emerald Knight's eyes swelled shut after that attack. He ran towards the electrical equipment that now was shown, bare, and active. If he didn't have Gajeel hit that, his death would be pointless.

Gajeel launched another club out, this time he swept the Emerald Knight. The Emerald Knight heard a crack or two from his legs as he was floored. He grimaced and cried out in pain. The equipment was only a foot or two away. He crawled over towards it a bit.

"Where the hell do you think you're going? Little rat, I'm not done with you yet…"

The Emerald Knight stood tall in front of his target, spreading out his arms, "Then I would get on with it, if I were you! Go on, I'm right here! Finish me, if you can, you iron, oversized chimp!"

Gajeel roared and launched a club out, but the Emerald Knight ducked just in time. A resounding explosion mixed with shattered metal was heard. Jackpot.

However, the Emerald Knight was still caught up in the blast. He flew towards the other side of the room and coughed up blood.

Natsu immediately ran towards the quickly growing fire generated by the explosion and he started gobbling away.

"No!" Gajeel yelled, "You bastard!" He glared at the Emerald Knight, "Think you can outsmart me, huh? Well now I'll kill you first as a warm up!" He ran at him and sliced into his flesh with a bladed arm. The Emerald Knight screamed, unable to move. He used the last of his energy staging that diversion.

"Gajeel…" Natsu prefaced calmly, "Get the hell away from him!" He screeched, punching Gajeel with a flaming fist with such force that Gajeel flew into the wall, coughing up blood.

"Levy…Jet…Droy…" Natsu panted, "Gramps…Ant…all my friends…Fairy Tail!"

"Iron Dragon's Roar!" Gajeel blasted his iron breath attack.

Natsu's eyes hardened with hatred. He grabbed the attack as if it were a tangible object and he tossed it aside.

"He dispelled my breath attack…" Gajeel gasped, "And he did it with his bare hands!"

"I don't know how many more people you have to hurt before you're satisfied!" Natsu said as he flared up more and more.

"This is impossible…this little fairy can't beat me!" Gajeel yelled.

"I'm about to pay you back for all the crap you put them through!" Natsu roared, his voice pretty terrifying, "Messing with Fairy Tail is the biggest mistake you've ever made!"

"It can't be! I'm the strongest!" Gajeel cowered to all the heat in the room.

"Flame Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist!" Natsu hit Gajeel with a volley of flaming fists, causing one explosion after the other against Gajeel's body. Gajeel screamed, his armor flying off as if it were made of paper. The Emerald Knight roused himself to stand up one last time to see his foe off. The large Phantom machine blew up from the inside as well, as Gajeel's body flew out of it in a flaming spectacle.

"Now…we're even…" Natsu panted.

Happy quickly lifted the Emerald Knight up so no falling rubble would hit him, then he gently set him down near Natsu.

"Alright…" Natsu fell back on the ground, "I'm not gonna move for a while…"

The Emerald Knight panted with a goofy grin on his face, falling back as well, "I have a feeling I won't either…" He rasped.

The Emerald Knight, Natsu, and Gajeel, the three men all laid there coated in blood and worn from battle. This fight was over.

* * *

 **A/N:** Too bad Wendy doesn't exist yet to heal them, huh? Poor Porlyusica. Thanks for reading, hope you liked it!


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** Here's chapter 28! Bye-Bye Phantom! (This chapter's on the shorter side, sorry!) Hope you like it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Makarov's eyes popped open with vigor in the bed Porlyusica provided. He immediately got up, put his battle attire and coat back on, and headed for the door.

"What on Earthland do you think you're doing?" Porlyusica grabbed his shoulder, "You cannot leave, not in your condition!"

A pause, "I don't recall having to listen to you."

She gave an empty sigh, "Well, I suppose it is my fault I forgot you never use your brain at all, after all these years." She stood in front of the doors, "I know how much you want to take care of your children, but I forbid you to leave."

"This is something I must do. I cannot abandon them. Not now. I've already left them alone far too long."

She paused, "How do you feel? Your magic, especially. And don't lie to me. I know your lying face."

"Most of it has returned, I'm sure by the time I make it to Jose's little rat's nest it'll be completely filled up."

She sighed, slowly stepping away from the door, "Fine. Just this once, Makarov Dreyar. But after you save your children and give them a home, I expect you here, so I can make sure you're in full health."

"We'll see." He slipped out the door.

"Damned…old…idiot…" Porlyusica growled as she slammed the door he left open.

* * *

Jose snickered a bit as his mechanical monstrosity broke down little by little, "Those two dragons can really go on a rampage."

Erza panted a bit, a small smile crept onto her face. Not because she felt confident or thought Jose was wrong, but because she pictured Natsu fighting Gajeel in a blind rampage, joyous about taking her S-Class spot, "I'm not sure that your ace…has nearly as much power as S-Class Natsu…"

"Hmm…I wouldn't be so sure about that. I know you're the strongest female warrior Fairy Tail has to offer, Titania, I wouldn't inflate Salamander's potential, it will only serve to disappoint you in the end." He chuckled, "And to think, this battle would be much more interesting if you did not take a full blast of Jupiter. So I'm afraid I'll have to cut this short and leave nothing but a lifeless _body_ for Makarov!" He blasted Erza with a dark wave, she smashed into the wall and coughed up blood.

"Did you want to know why I left him alive?" He went on, "Despair! To kill him slowly with despair! When he finally awakens, he'll see his guild in ruins and all his children dead, ha, ha, ha!" He laughed, "He'll be a pathetic shell of a man by then…and only after I have treated him to such scrumptious despair will I finally kill him! I refuse to give him a quick death! I will make him suffer in anguish and misery! Only when he has felt enough pain, will I finally kill him!"

"You're a disgrace…" She growled.

"Phantom Lord has always been the best! We have the most powerful wizards, the best magic, and the most influence in the country! But these past few years, Fairy Tail has increased its rank higher and higher. The names of Erza, Laxus, and Mystogan have been heard all over town. Even Salamander has a formidable reputation. I hear people call Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord the _two_ greatest guilds in the country." He growled, "I won't stand for it. My pristine guild will not be associated to such a vile and trash-ridden one!"

"That's your reasoning? What a petty war! And what a shame we had to be part of it!" She exclaimed as she flew forward.

He jumped back and shot out some of his deadly purple waves at her, "We're just clarifying our superiority, that's all!"

"I'm not very surprised." She spat, "Only when you become strong at heart will you be able to outshine us-

His phantasmal magic worked its way around her, electrocuting her and sapping some of her strength, "I could never stand your guild! And now I finally have a reason to utilize that hatred! By returning the Emerald Knight to Caesar at long last!"

"The Emerald Knight…" She choked out, "Has…hardly a thing…to do with this…."

"In that case I don't think you've been paying attention very much, have you Titania?" He asked as he kept wrestling power out of her, "One of the secret holy gemstone knights in your guild? How much of Fiore's military power are you going to have tucked away in your guild's back pocket, hmm? Caesar may be largely inactive now, but no one questions his worth as a nobleman. That's why the Emerald Knight is in your guild, isn't he? That tiny man is nothing but a pawn and an undying soldier with hardly his own will aside from his worth to Caesar and I very well suppose for you lot too!"

Erza cried out as he restricted even more, more blood leaking down her lips. However, her lips were curved up in a smile, rather unsettling for the Phantom Lord Master. "Besides the pitiable fact that _this_ is your reason behind all of this…your ability to gather information is abysmal…it makes me laugh…"

"What?" He snapped.

"He ran away from those damn knights to live with us…so how could we use their military power if he severed all ties with them…?" She wheezed, "He lives in a little house he built with his own hands in the middle of the woods so no one would find him but us….and he works jobs and sheds blood and tears with the rest of us…"

She tried to squirm away from his grasp, then she continued when she couldn't, "I've seen how he fears Caesar….he wanted to stay away from him more than anything else…because he want's nothing more than freedom…" She said before screaming, "Why do you feel it's right to take someone's freedom from them!?" Her eyes were wide and frantic as she screamed, it felt like her heart was on fire, like it was bleeding out all over her.

He snickered, "At the end of the day, the fate of that knight has little to do with all of this. Do you have any idea how powerful I would be with a man like Caesar indebted to me? A little bit of reward money isn't going to cover all the damages to my guildhall now! I'm going to make sure he is bound to Phantom Lord just as he was previously bound to Fairy Tail!"

"Filthy excuse for a man!" She screamed, but Jose didn't like that much, as he strengthened his magic and broke all her armor.

"I would be careful with those insults, you're just making it worse for yourself." He cackled as he kept shocking her. This went on until his magic was abruptly cut off and Erza was freed, "My magic!" He exclaimed, "Who dares-

"You've bathed yourself in the blood of many. The blood of children. Children have been hurt, children have cried, all because of their incompetent parents, such as you and I. We've done quite enough Jose. It must be stopped!" Makarov roared.

Erza's eyes wavered as she hit the ground, "….Master…."

"Two of us clashing could be dangerous Makarov, are you sure you want to risk it?" Jose smirked.

"If it's for the sake of my family, then of course I will!" Makarov said.

* * *

Porlyusica sighed as she took a walk around the perimeter of her house, watching the wind blow stray leaves from the trees and carry them off. _I can feel the very earth trembling…the animals are disturbed, the wind is stronger than usual…_ She turned to a crate of apples and kicked it, "This is why humans are the worst!" She screamed, fed up and angry, "These creatures can't even disagree on something without turning it into a war!" She stepped on an apple, "Makarov, you idiot, if you want to die so badly, I'll gladly do the deed!"

One of the apples rolled quite a distance, until someone else picked it up, "Do you mind if I have this?" Mystogan asked.

"Mystogan…" Porlyusica stood back, shocked, "Well…that answers that then…" She looked at the forest floor as she continued, "You're the reason he recovered so quickly, you were able to restore his magic, weren't you?"

To answer, Mystogan simply took a bite out of his apple.

"Nobody gave you permission to eat that…" She scowled.

"The war of giants will soon come to its conclusion."

She sighed, "The last thing I want to do is involve myself in this pathetic human war, but why don't you help Makarov? You know him well, right? Enter the battle yourself!"

Mystogan reached inside his cloak and tossed a few pieces of fabric in front of the two of them. They were all flags with Phantom's emblem on them.

 _Phantom flags? He…couldn't have…killed all the Phantom officers…_ Porlyusica's eyes were wide as she watched the flags drift to the ground.

"Can I have another apple for the road?"

"You better not be treating me like a trash can for your disgusting apple cores, Mystogan!"

Thunder rumbled in the air above them. Or maybe it wasn't thunder. Perhaps it was magic power in the atmosphere.

She turned around, "I give up on you people…." She sighed, relaxing again before she said much calmer, "A power too great only gives birth to sorrow. And within the whirlpool of tragedy, one forgets sorrow and only knows rage."

"I would like to believe in the sacred light that can envelop both sorrow and rage." Mystogan said, "The sacred light that guides us all…"

* * *

"What…what is this magic power…?" Gray woke up and winced at his injuries, "It sort of feels like home…"

"Everyone clear the arena!" Makarov announced.

"Gramps?" Gray asked.

"How did you get here?" Elfman asked.

"Do as you're told!" Makarov said.

Erza glared at Jose, then got to her feet. She was able to run, it seemed hearing her Master's voice put a new life into her battle-weary body. She then fell to Gray's side, "Are you able to stand, Gray?"

"Yeah…but…" He started.

Jose watched Erza help Gray up and Elfman help his sister escape, "Now that you're here, I have no use for your underlings, Makarov. But afterward, I'll be sure to kill them all!"

"If we stay here, we'll just make the Master worried about us. Let's go." Erza took Gray's hand and pulled, the two ran off.

"It's been six months since we've last seen each other face-to-face, I had no idea how big Fairy Tail's name would be in a collection of months…" He snickered madly, "Of course, it's just rubble now…"

"A guild has no outward form." Makarov said, "It is the harmony between its people."

"I must admit that I'm glad about how this turned out. We will now finally be able to establish who the superior Wizard Saint is."

"Everything is thanks to you, my children! You did well, take pride in the fact that you are Fairy Tail wizards!" The sky began to open up with a golden sacred light, as Makarov shot a bright golden beam of pure light at Jose.

Jose grimaced as the light beam pierced a hole in his shoulder, he raised a hand up to launch a counter-attack, "Dead wave!" He fired off hundreds of phantasmal purple spirits at Makarov.

Makarov grit his teeth and held his hands out, extinguishing all the phantoms with a humungous blast of light.

Meanwhile, the three who were present during Gajeel's fight shook with the large towering machine as one spatial disturbance after another shook the entire ocean.

"Whoa…!" Natsu said.

"What is that, what's going on?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"I have no idea!" Happy said.

Natsu chuckled for a while, "Only gramps can do magic like that!"

"Impressive." Jose said, "To have such a level of magic at your age…I suppose they don't just hand out that Wizard Saint title willy-nilly after all."

"If only you had used your magic power the way it should be. You could have been a model for the newer generation, advancing the magical world." Makarov said, "Instead, you're a model of what not to do."

"Are you lecturing me?" Jose growled.

"There's a rule that I have in my guild, that works quite well. Everyone in Fairy Tail follows it without fail." Makarov said as he grew in size, "I'm supposed to give you until the count of three to do as I say or you'll be punished. So…on your knees!" His voice boomed.

"What?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"One…"

"Ha, ha, ha! I was wondering what you were going to demand, but for me to go on my knees?"

"Two!" Makarov held his hands closely, as a golden light began to shine in between them.

"You're asking for the leader of the greatest guild in the country to grovel before you! Don't make me laugh! You and I are evenly matched! No, not even that, I am the stronger one!"

"Three!" His golden light consolidated into a glowing sphere in between his hands.

"You're the one who should be on his knees! You should be dead and Fairy Tail trash should be erased from all of the history books in our nation!"

"Time's up!" Makarov clapped his hands over the light, "Fairy Law…is invoked!"

Jose's jaw dropped as the clouds opened up to reveal a blinding light that seemed to consume the entire world around them. The light only got brighter and brighter, destroying all of the phantom soldiers immediately and ultimately saving all of the Fairy Tail members by the rubble.

"Fairy Law!" Erza's eyes brightened as her armor reappeared.

"Fairy Law?" Gray asked, "What is that, and why isn't it hurting us?"

"It's a sacred type of light magic….all darkness or evil in the caster's eyes is obliterated….It's considered one of the legendary magics…it takes years to learn properly…"

Jose lay crumpled on the ground, twitching erratically, all his hair turned white, as if all the color faded away from his body.

"You will never harm Fairy Tail again." Makarov said, he started walking away, "Now after this fiasco of epic proportions, the council will probably be on both our tails. We'll have to be very careful."

Aria snuck behind him, a huge grin on his face, "It's just like last time! He doesn't even see me coming! He's mine!"

Makarov stretched a fist out and punched him in the face, knocking Aria to the ground, "It's all over! The battle between the guilds have been resolved! If you try to fight us again, you'll be swept away without a trace of afterthought. Go home and take Jose with you!"

* * *

 **A/N:** So, any thoughts? Let me know with a review, they're always appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:** Here's chapter twenty-nine! Sure is nice now that I don't have to be Jude…Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"We won!" The Fairy Tail guild wizards cheered, "We beat Phantom!" They cheered as Makarov, Mirajane, Erza, Gray, and Elfman reunited with the guild and Happy gently dropped the Emerald Knight to the ground.

Erza looked around at all the smiling faces, then looked over at Happy, "Happy, where's Natsu?"

"He said he had some unfinished business." Happy said.

"Business?" Gray asked.

"What's the supposed to mean?" Elfman wondered.

"It's nothing to worry about!" Happy said.

* * *

"Yo!" Natsu sifted through the rubble, "Can you hear me Gajeel?"

Gajeel was sitting right in front of him, but he didn't respond.

"Come on…I'll make it quick…" He said, "Your dragon slaying magic, where did you learn it from?"

No answer.

"Come on! This is the first time I've met someone who uses the same magic as me! You can at least tell me, right?"

"Shut your damn hole…" Gajeel said, then there was a pause, as if he were debating something, "Metalicana…"

"Who?"

"Metalicana…the iron dragon?"

"So you _were_ taught by a dragon!"

"You too?"

"What happened to your dragon?"

"Who knows?" He shrugged.

"I asked you what happened!" They butt heads.

"And I told you I don't know, dumbass!" He snapped, then they sighed and cooled off for a few seconds, "Man, every time I talk to you, it feels like I'm losing more and more brain cells…"

"What did you say?" Natsu growled.

"He disappeared…" He said, "One day, Metalicana just wasn't there anymore…without even saying a word…jerk…"

"Hey, it wouldn't happen to be on the seventh of July, would it?"

"Yeah, that's right, are you saying you know where Metalicana is?"

"Not really…but I'm looking for a fire dragon, Igneel, he disappeared on the same day."

"Seven years ago…" Gajeel mused, "Year seven-hundred seventy seven, on the seventh day of the seventh month…two dragons vanished?"

"Ah! What's with all the sevens?"

"How should I know?" He snapped. Then he weakly stood up, "It makes no difference to me, I don't care what happened to him…"

"Fine, if you don't care, you may as well leave…"

"This is _my_ guild you're standing on!"

"If you find out anything about Igneel, tell me, okay?"

"Why the hell would I do that? We're enemies!"

"But we're both dragon slayers, right?" Natsu smiled.

"The next time we meet, you're dead, got it? If I were you, I wouldn't get so attached to your head, because it's gonna come right off the next time I see you!"

"Jeez, lighten up, would ya?" Natsu asked, "I thought I should be a little nice to you but after what you said, I don't know!"

"After what you did to my guild, I would never be nice to you!"

"I only did that because _you_ completely leveled our guild first!" Natsu snapped, "Screw you, I ain't being nice to you, not ever!"

* * *

Makarov looked at the rubble that was once a guildhall, "My word…they really did a number on us…"

Natsu walked back to the ground, looking a little annoyed and disturbed.

"What happened?" Happy asked.

"Nothing…" Natsu muttered, saying something about someone being a 'huge jerk' and whatnot.

"There's no need to be so down in the dumps." A voice said that everyone thought they very well might never hear again, "Not after everyone pitched in and won this fight!"

Walking, (or in Droy's case, limping) towards the outskirts of the guild rubble was Levy, Jet, Droy and Reedus. They all wore bandages and were bruised here and there, Jet suffering a broken arm, and Droy a broken leg.

"Levy…you're…you're all okay?" The Emerald Knight gasped.

Levy ran forward and hugged him gently, especially when she saw how wounded he was, "I'm sorry to make you worry about us…"

"No, this…this is all my fault!"

"If anything, I should apologize." Reedus said, "I was supposed to protect you, but I failed miserably in that aspect."

"No, you shouldn't apologize, this is all because of Caesar and me, he-

"Ant." Makarov started, "We share everything here as a guild. Happiness, sadness, and tears…when one person here is happy, everyone is happy. When one person is sad, everyone is sad. That's what it means to be in a guild. There's no need for you to feel guilt. As long as you're with us, you'll have support, more support than you've ever had in your entire life, I presume."

The Emerald Knight gave a slight nod.

As Levy broke the hug, Cana slung an arm around his shoulders, "Don't worry Ant, if you still feel bad after all this, you can make it up by helping us rebuild the guild hall."

He nodded, "Yes, I suppose that's always true."

"Gee, they sure made a mess here, didn't they?" Makarov said, "This is going to bring the wrath of the council down on me…I may even be looking at…jail time!" He started sobbing.

Erza gasped as Makarov started sobbing, Mirajane ran over to try to make him stop.

True to his word, knights of the magic council quickly surrounded the entire rubble that used to be the Fairy Tail guildhall.

"Aw, man!" Gray said.

"Everybody run!" Natsu began to flee.

"Natsu." Mirajane's hand lashed out like a serpent and grabbed his scarf, holding him back, "They'll catch you anyway, there's no use running!" She said with her sweet smile.

"Yes…those are rune knights alright…" The Emerald Knight recognized them immediately.

"We've come here to question all of your members." One of the rune knights said, "Remain calm as this procedure progresses."

Makarov cried even louder.

"Master, pull yourself tighter!" Erza urged.

* * *

It had been about a week since the entire Phantom Lord incident blew over. The Emerald Knight was happy that his armor was finally returned to him, he was useless to everyone without it. The Magic Council questioned practically every member of Fairy Tail to aid with their investigation. The worst part was that investigation wasn't over yet. Having the Magic Council loom over you wasn't exactly a stress-free experience. He was terrified he'd wake up one day to find the guild disbanded.

He penned a letter to Miranda saying as much, and then he put the letter in one of his drawers. He paused for a moment, as his usual stack of letters was in a bit of a messy pile instead of the neat, organized immaculate one he set, "Ah…" He said, "So someone's noticed the letters, have they?" He wondered who it could be, the suspect list wouldn't exactly be long. It would be anyone in his immediate team, or Levy and Cana, and suspecting Levy was just plain stupid because she would never hurt a fly.

He fondly looked at Miranda's picture. He grasped it with both hands. His arms shook a little as those dark eyes stared forever into his green eyes, transfixed by a beauty and a bond that was abruptly severed by conflict:

 _The days out training in the field was a mixture of horrid and invigorating. Progress was surely made each time the Emerald Knight trained, but there was no sense of community. It was just a large pit of hog-headed boys all wanting to graduate and become one of the seven gemstone knights. People were only concerned about their strength, and bonds and friendship were never really a part of the combative spirit of surpassing all the other trainees._

 _The Emerald Knight learned this quite early when he in training camp. Once he was a teenager he was expected to practice for hours on end just for a sliver of hope at truly being the best. He was armed with simple silver armor, a wooden training staff and a shield about the fourth the size of his real one. He was squaring off against one of the practice dummies, he'd been out here so many times with them that he had names for some of them._

" _You forgot to put your visor down, and your stance is very rigid." Came a voice from the bench. He looked to see a girl his age sitting there with long black hair, dark eyes, black gladiator sandals, lavender shorts, and a black and lavender combat tunic. She had a following of a handful of cats, every so often she'd pet one with her black nails._

" _Pfft." The young Emerald Knight looked away, "I don't need your help. Why do you always sit on that bench anyway? Is it because you already gave up?" He scoffed, "Cause no girl can win in a men's competition."_

 _The young woman smiled, intrigued by his little challenged. She sped off the bench faster than the Emerald Knight had ever seen her move. She drew a tiny knife, darting in and clashing his staff with her knife. She hit his hand with the butt of her knife and he dropped his wooden staff, she then sliced his wooden shield in half with one fluid motion. She swept him on the ground finally and pointed her knife at his throat._

 _The Emerald Knight shivered, half of him feeling like a complete idiot, and the other half still processing what the heck went on._

 _The girl held a hand out, "My name is Miranda. Why don't I help you? Then the two of us could be gemstone knights together."_

 _The Emerald Knight looked up with awe. After he belittled her so much she wanted to help him? She was leagues above him in terms of hand-to-hand combat, would she need someone like him weighing her down? He knew all of his questions would be answered if he grabbed her hand. He reached out and clutched her hand as if it would never let go. The first friend he ever made in his life._

The Emerald Knight brushed tears away and set the picture down. He had to face Caesar, or something else would be sent after his beloved guild. It was time.

* * *

"Bet you can't lift this many up Gray!" Natsu said, carrying about six large beams of wood at a time.

"If you carry that many, you're gonna fall over." Gray said, as Natsu then fell over predictably, "What are you, an idiot?"

"You know the answer to that is only going to be some sort of argument, right?" Cana asked.

Levy looked around as she helped hand out lemonade and sandwiches, the Master refused to have her do any labor, "Where did Ant go? I thought he would want to help us."

"Maybe he had to use the restroom." Mirajane said, despite the fact that she was taller, she had the waitress stance much more perfected than Levy did, "Even then, I think he could use some alone time right now." She looked up again, "So who would like more of my lemonade?"

A horde of people came rushing over, nearly tackling each other for her lemonade.

"…anyone want mine?" Levy asked timidly.

"I'll take a glass!" Droy took one.

Jet snagged one as well, "You know we'll always take whatever you make."

"Yeah…but…" Levy sighed as she watched the crowd Mirajane summoned, "I feel useless like this…" Droy, meanwhile, started choking on his lemonade, Jet tried to compose himself as he drank it. It was the sourest and most bitter thing either of them had ever tasted, "I want to help rebuild the guild, or at the very least help the Master organize, but he won't let me." She continued, "And now I can't even serve food right." She turned back over to them. They immediately composed themselves like nothing had happened, "Why doesn't anyone want my lemonade?"

"Cause they're idiots. Duh." Jet said, still a tad pale.

"Yeah, anyone who passes up your lemonade has cobwebs for brains." Droy agreed.

Levy rolled her eyes, "Thanks guys. How is it?"

"Great." Jet didn't miss a beat.

"I'd marry the lemonade if I didn't already buy a ring for you!" Droy said.

"Uh…let's…hope you didn't…waste all your jewel on that…"

"Hey guys…" Loke walked over to Natsu and Gray, unintentionally stopping a row between the two of them, "Any of you guys seen Ant recently? I wanted to apologize to him…"

"Hey, there you are." Gray said, "I haven't seen you in like forever. You look really pale, you okay?"

"Uh…I guess the Phantom attack really took its toll on me…" Loke joked.

Natsu guessed a location as to where the Emerald Knight was, but his mouth was full of Mirajane's sandwiches, so his response was unintelligible.

"Maybe you should talk _after_ you swallow the sandwich…" Happy said.

"He's probably at his house." Gray said, "I might go check on him, you wanna come?" He looked at Loke.

"No, I'll pass…" Loke said.

"Look, for the last time, he's not a celestial wizard…"

"Ooh, I'll come to Ant's house! We can do push-ups together!" Natsu cheered.

"Now, now. I'll come along too, just to ensure you boys don't get any funny ideas. I don't trust any of you." Erza was in worker's clothes, she must have reequipped into them. She grabbed Natsu by the back of the scarf, "Now that you're not S-Class anymore, I have to make sure _you_ don't get any funny ideas."

"Aw, come on now…I wouldn't do that…" Natsu said.

The four of them made it to the Emerald Knight's house, Natsu flung the door open, "Hi Ant! I didn't feel like knocking-

He looked around, confused, "I don't think Ant's here."

"Maybe he's in another room?" Gray asked.

"Nah, his house is small, he would've heard us by now…I don't really smell him either…"

"Shit, where would he be then…he wasn't helping us repair the guild…"

Erza peered around, then walked over to his desk, snatching a letter. Her eyes skimmed over it, "Hmm…."

"What is it?" Gray asked.

"He left." She let the letter slowly drift to the desk, "To deal with Caesar."

* * *

The Emerald Knight took a deep breath as he finally made it to his destination. It was a dark, craggy landscape with a single shack at the end of a long dirty path. This is where he grew up. This is where any semblance of childhood was, where he trained day and night. It had aged terribly. It used to be a grassland, but it seemed time took its toll on the landscape. He walked past six tombstones, all outlining the other six knights who gave their lives that fateful day in the blowout against that Dark Guild. Caesar and the Emerald Knight were the sole survivors of the war, and after all these years they would finally meet again.

He entered the shack, going to the back of the compound to Caesar's office. Structurally, it hadn't changed a bit, but the interior of the training camp now just looked old and decrepit. He would be shocked if Caesar was even in here.

But sure enough, Caesar was sitting at his desk. He looked a bit older since the last time the Emerald Knight had seen him. He had dark eyes, long black hair down his back, a black brigadier's jacket, black pants, and boots. He slowly drummed his fingers on the desk with one hand, while the other hand leaned on the desk and propped his head up, "So…" He said in a crisp, businesslike, airy voice, "My Emerald Knight has returned to me…"

He frowned, "Not permanently."

"We'll see about that."

His frown grew, "That was a costly attack you made, trying to get Phantom Lord to get me by attempting to slaughter my guild."

"Yes, emphasis on costly. I thought those wretches were one of the strongest guilds in the country." He stood up and began to pace, "What other imbecilic guilds are there to hire for that sort of thing? I suppose magic folk like to parade around and deem themselves the best until they're shut down like a little yapping dog, how tragic."

"I thought after all the loses the two of us went through with the other gemstone knights that you would never engulf people in war again!"

"You forget Antipholus, that I was born a soldier, I was born with an army to command. Even if I have one soldier left, I'll use him to my fullest capability…"

The Emerald Knight paused, looking at all the faded pictures around him, of the different gemstone soldiers. Mostly every picture the Emerald Knight was in, Miranda was in it too. It was almost like a scrapbook of sorts, detailing their relationship.

"Did you know that the king of Fiore has a daughter, his princess…she's a rather young thing now. It's made him very edgy, for all the crime and Dark Guilds around this world. I think we should take protective measures on securing a perimeter around that family. Especially after you so rudely left your post of sacred Fiore protector…" Caesar said.

He snarled, "I left because all there was deal with was you, and your unravelling mind! I can protect Fiore here or in Fairy Tail, so it makes little difference _where_ I am as long as I'm doing the protecting!"

"Oh, you think it's that simple, do you?" Caesar frowned, "You can just steal sacred armor and a living away from me, well I'm afraid not. You owe me money."

"And I've been paying off the debt collector each time he comes. You just need to stop adding this absurd amount of interest and you'd get your money back quicker!"

"I don't see any reason to let up on a thief."

He grabbed the handle of his lance, "I should just end you right now. You're not productive to anyone anymore, and you're not the exactly the general I once had. I could take you out in a heartbeat."

"Then you'd have a noblemen's blood on your hands." He grinned, "And you know how much this country loves its rich upper class, that would effectively destroy whatever semblance of a life you have left."

He sighed and took his hand off his lance, "Well, still, in your state, you won't be able to chase me any longer, and if you somehow get away with this Phantom Lord incident, I'll make sure to frame your next attack squarely on you!"

"We'll see about that, my dear Antipholus." Caesar snickered.

He turned away, towards the door, "One more question. What do you know about celestial magic? Because everyone I know automatically assumes I'm a celestial mage. What's the connection?"

Caesar chuckled madly in his chair, "Oh…" He kept laughing quietly, "So they've finally found the connection, have they?"

"Connection, what connection? What do you know that I don't?" He asked urgently.

"….there's a reason why humans aren't allowed in the celestial world…a reason drenched in the blood of fallen spirits…"

The Emerald Knight shivered, he almost would've preferred to be kept in the dark at this point.

Caesar stood up and gave shrieking, high-pitched laugh as he threw his arms out, "Oh the gods look over my almighty soul!" He screamed, "I invaded the holy spiritual lands and sapped the succulent world of its energy to craft impenetrable gemstone armor! Any spirit foolish enough to clash swords with me was vanquished from the land of the living!"

"What? You mean?" The Emerald Knight looked down at his armor, "This is stolen from the celestial spirit world?" He asked. No wonder Caesar was so insane, and getting crazier by the day it seemed, humans weren't meant to be in the celestial world, with or without the law, humans weren't meant to survive in the celestial world.

"Yes, I was only able to make seven sets of armor, but think what would've happened if I made a-hundred, no, a-thousand!" He laughed, "I'd be able to turn an army of cannon fodder into a goldmine that would never lose a battle!"

"I knew you were deranged…but…"

"Perhaps I could've made a better set for those who have fallen, like your precious, sweet, Miranda." He smiled, creeping closer to him, "Maybe she would've lived, who knows? If she did a bit more training to keep up with that natural talent of hers. But in truth she was just lazy and I'm not at all surprised that she died-

The Emerald Knight punched him in the face with his gauntlet, sending blood everywhere as Caesar fell back into his chair. Without another word, he left the compound.

"Ant!" Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Erza called. With Happy flying into his armored chest for a hug.

The Emerald Knight gasped, he eventually hugged Happy back, then he smiled at the others, "I should have known that you all would have found me…"

"So did you kick Caesar's ass?" Natsu smirked.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "Well…sort of…"

"Ant, I was…I mean, _Natsu_ was so worried, he practically cried the entire way over here…he thought Caesar was gonna do something terrible to you!" Happy said.

"I did not cry! You cried!" Natsu snapped.

Erza's eyes caught on the blood on his gauntlet, but she smiled anyway as they started walking back. Erza and the Emerald Knight hung back as Natsu, Gray and Happy lead them back, bantering and arguing about who knows what.

Erza looked back at the dusty ground, "You've been through a lot." She said quietly.

"Everyone and Fairy Tail has been. At this point it almost seems like a requirement. That's what ties our spirits together so strongly." He bent down and threw a flower on one of the graves, the one with 'Miranda' written on the tombstone.

She stood over Miranda's grave, forcing him to stop. Natsu, Gray and Happy had past the horizon already, but Erza stayed back with him. She smiled as she stared at the churned soil, "A requirement, hmm? Well, that sounds about right…Natsu's abandonment issues…Gray's master…Cana's lack of a family….Levy's family illness….the Strauss family…" She mused over each member, "Happy. Happy's had a fairy happy life. Technically he does not surpass the requirements." She smiled at the Emerald Knight.

He smiled back, "Well, that would put a damper on his name, wouldn't it?"

"It would." She chuckled, then looked back down at the grave. "You know, sometimes it's better this way."

"Better?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"It's better they're…gone. Dead." She looked up at him, "Better that then somewhere they don't belong. Somewhere where people are being hurt."

"But if they were alive, it stands to reason that you could remove them from that place. Removing someone from death in my experience is impossible."

"If Miranda was standing against you with a blade to your throat, would you rather her stand against you or stay beneath the soil?" She asked, then she made a pained expression, "Never mind. I've never been very good a mourning, my apologies." She turned around and started walking back at a hurried pace.

He watched her run off abruptly with a puzzled expression on his face, he then stared back at Miranda's grave for what felt like an eternity, dwelling on Erza's philosophy.

* * *

 **A/N:** Erza dropped a few foreshadowing-bombs, watch out! ;) What did you think? Send a review, they really mean a lot! Thanks for reading!


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:** Here's chapter thirty, at last! Just a little note, not to get you guys excited or anything, but I do plan to include a lot of characters, especially some who don't get a lot of screen time in the show. I can't wait to get there!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Deep within the Magic Council, a trial was being held for Fairy Tail, unfortunately, the person at the stand was snoring. All the elders of the council looked positively steamed at this, save for Siegrain and Ultear, who were both laughing hysterically.

"Uh…Master Makarov?" One of the frog attendants asked, "Falling asleep during trail is prohibited!"

"Me…sleeping?" Makarov woke up and looked around, "Perish the thought!" He swatted a hand, to several groans in response.

After the trial Makarov was relived, he was speaking to one of the elders of the council, a longtime friend of his, Yajima, "Well, Phantom's disbandment and Jose losing his title as a Wizard Saint were two things I expected to happen…" Makarov said, "But for Fairy Tail to be completely _innocent_ …"

"You should thank me, Makey." Yajima said a stout old man about the same height as Makarov, he was easily spotted due to that along with his orange stripped shirt and his elfish hat with three spikes at the top, "It was because of my defense."

"I'm in your debt, Yaj." Makarov smiled, "Once we get the guild all fixed, I'll treat you to a drink! And the ramen will be on me."

"Don't forget the twelve pork slices."

"Jeez…twelve? Isn't that a bit much?"

"Did you happen to know the punishment for violence between guilds? It breaks a rather important charter in the Magic Council."

There was a pause, "Have thirty slices of pork, then."

"Twelve will be just fine."

"Well, I'm still very grateful for your defense."

"Makey…you really need to consider throwing in the towel soon. Recently Fairy Tail's rampages have been making the council angrier and angrier. Michello and Org have been requesting that your guild be disbanded at this point. If this goes on, you'll soon have worse and worse punishment to deal with, Makey. You should retire…for your own health."

"But…someone needs to watch out for those kids…"

"Truthfully you should have retired long ago…you remember Rob, don't you Makey?"

He nodded solemnly, "I do."

"Those were the days, hmm? With you, me, Rob, Goldmine, Bob, and Porlyusica…what I'm trying to say is I don't want you to end up like Rob, Makey. Just be careful, okay?"

* * *

"Attention everybody!" Mirajane called with a broad wave of her arm, "The guild request board is now posted right here!" She motioned to a small wooden board behind herself with a few jobs tacked up, "This is temporary, of course." She said, as guild members came running from the construction site to look at jobs and chat to Mirajane.

"Mira…I hate to be a party-pooper, but I feel like this is attracting negative attention." Levy said.

"Negative attention?" She asked with her ever-present smile, "What makes you say that?"

"Well…normally people who sit at the counter get drunk…and then if they look up and see the jobs, won't they get all excited and pick one out of drunken craze?"

Mirajane giggled, "I'll keep an eye out on things. Really, we only have to worry about Cana."

"Yeah, she's the one I'm worried about the most." Levy muttered as she opened her book again.

"Hey, I've been good the past couple days." Cana challenged.

"Yeah, cause we're almost out of alcohol." Jet said, "Cana, you nearly sucked the place dry!"

Cana sneered and licked her lips, "That's one way to put it."

"TMI, Cana." Mirajane scrubbed the scratchy wooden counter, "Is anyone hungry?"

"Not after that comment…" Levy sighed.

"Yes!" Natsu cheered, as a second crowed surrounded the counter.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "I suppose I'll take something later, when all that rabble is over…"

Mirajane laughed a bit, "And how have you been since….?"

"Since…?" He mirrored, looking at her.

"You know." Her eyes flashed up to meet his briefly, "Caesar?"

"Oh." Some of his color faded, "Well…that was quite an adventure…"

"I understand." She gave a warm smile, "Well, you can always come to me if you'd like to talk more. I know sometimes it takes a while of thinking to brew over things, but if you ever need to share anything, I'm here."

He nodded, "Yes, thank you, I appreciate it."

A ferocious growl was heard, it took the Emerald Knight a moment before he placed it. Even then, he was shocked, "You're wrong! It's like every time you speak, you distance yourself from the guild, you heartless bastard!"

Erza was standing across from Laxus, who was sitting on a makeshift table. She was _screaming_ at him, her eyes narrowed in hate, her fists clenched.

It was one thing for Erza to raise her voice at a normal wizard in Fairy Tail. For instance, when she would yell at Gray or Natsu, they would eventually listen to her, since she was S-Class and had more power than them. However, against another S-Class was a different story. It was like an entirely different face of Erza, standing against an opponent who could potentially have more power than her. An ounce of fear held her back from being the usual headstrong and confident wizard she always was.

"This little batch of weaklings isn't a guild." Laxus scoffed, "So I don't really have a commitment to be close to any of you." He pointed at Levy, Jet and Droy, "Like you dorks! You got your asses handed to you by Phantom and made us look like a bunch of losers!" He laughed, "You were just Gajeel's personal punching bags, weren't you? You know, I'm glad I never bothered to learn your names…"

"Laxus is back…" Happy shivered.

"He's got some nerve." Gray said.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard.

Levy looked away, tears in her eyes.

Erza took a step forward, "What, so you make your appearance _after_ the battle against Phantom to criticize us? Maybe no one would have gotten hurt if you bothered to show up, but you hid from us! You're the real coward!"

"Like I said before, that fight had nothing to do with me." Laxus said, "But if I was there, we never would've been defeated like that." He spotted the Emerald Knight next, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Emerald Knight who I've learned so much about. This is all your fault you know. How does it feel to not be able to do anything yourself and be a pathetic shell of a man, huh?"

"Laxus!" Mirajane screamed suddenly, jolting the Emerald Knight as her hand slammed down on the counter. It went dead silent as everyone looked at Mirajane, a scowl on her face, "You're finished now, with your little tantrum, I don't care what else you have to say. You're really no better than a child, blaming other people for something they had no control over and trying to squeeze in the last word. You're just a bully, do you realize how many people fear you? Since when was being S-Class about fear, or fame? This is a family, Laxus, you're supposed to be a role model! All you've done is hurt the people who were trying to rely on you."

"Laxus you jerk!" Natsu ran at him with his fist out.

Laxus darted over away from Natsu in a motion as fast as lightning, laughing.

"Laxus, face me like a man!"

"How can you fight me when you can't even touch me?" Laxus sneered.

The Emerald Knight got up and took his lance out, "Then perhaps I'll have better luck…"

Laxus turned around with a big grin on his face, seeing the green lightning dance off the Emerald Knight's lance, "Oh yeah? Go ahead, you little flea, you use your most powerful attack, and I'll tell you if it tickles or not."

"Laxus…" Mirajane seethed, "I'll ask you to leave nicely only once."

"Let's take him together, Ant." Natsu stood at the Emerald Knight's side.

Laxus laughed, starting to walk off, "When I inherit the guild, I'm gonna clean the place out of weaklings! So you losers will have to find some other place to mooch off! This guild will be the strongest guild there is! And no one will ever disgrace us like that again!"

The Emerald Knight sat back down and crossed his arms, "He seems confident that he'll be the next master of the guild…"

"It's almost certain he will be…" Mirajane sighed, taking a sip of her warm tea to help her sore throat.

"Why do you say that?"

"Laxus is the Master's grandson. The only direct family in the guild that's related to him."

He went pale again, "Goodness…"

"So that's…why the Master is still working, even as old as he is." Mirajane said, "Or at least, that's what I think. He doesn't trust Laxus to fill his spot."

"Course he doesn't." Cana said, sitting at the makeshift bar, "But I'm willing to bet the Master was a little punk like Laxus too, when he was young."

"I'm not so sure about that…" Mirajane mused.

"Have you seen pictures of Makarov when he was young? I mean, it's uncanny."

Mirajane giggled a bit, "Well, besides appearances. I think the Master is going to see what he can do about picking a different wizard as Master when he retires."

Cana sat back, "That'll be a terrifying day." She downed her drink, "Let's change the subject."

"Well, I gotta fight _someone_ now…" Natsu said, "Gray, get your ass over here. It's time for a rematch!"

"Oh yeah?" Gray balled his hands up into fists, "People may not recognize you by the time I have my way with you."

"Bull crap! Let's go!" Natsu flared up and started attacking Gray.

Gray jumped back, "Ha, and cause we're outside, we've got more room to brawl!"

The Emerald Knight sighed, "I'm amazed at how much energy those two can summon at any instant."

"Aye." Happy said.

"Sure is inspiring…" Cana sighed.

Mirajane handed Erza a slice of cake as she sat down, her eyes heavy and tired looking, "Almost reminds me of the two of us, hmm, Erza?"

"To an extent." She said quietly as she slid a fork into her cake.

"Though back then, there wasn't anyone to pull us apart. Well, besides the Master. But I feel like he almost liked watching us fight."

Erza's eyes listlessly stared at the mug of tea Mirajane handed her as she stuck her fork in her mouth.

"Erza, perhaps after your cake, you should go get some rest." Mirajane said.

She nodded, "I was planning on it."

"Are you feeling alright? You're not coming down with something, right?" Cana asked.

"No, I'm perfectly fine." She held up a hand, "Just a bit exhausted."

The Emerald Knight watched Erza cautiously, perhaps Jupiter hit her a bit harder than they all thought.

"Should we look for a job, Ant?" Happy asked.

"No, I'm going to go back home and train." The Emerald Knight said, he knew he needed to get stronger, in order to prevent another fiasco like the final battle in Phantom Lord.

* * *

Cana rubbed her forehead, sitting on a bench and laying out some cards in a pattern in the dirt. There weren't many people in the guild at the time, besides Mirajane, Cana and the Emerald Knight.

Cana laid down another card and looked down at the display, sighing and picking them back up, "Hey Ant. C'mere."

"Hmm?" The Emerald Knight looked back, "Did you need something?"

"Yeah. Sit here." She scooted over, "Hold your hand out, palm up."

He sat next to her and took his gauntlet off, holding a hand out, "I swear…if this is a prank…"

"No, it's not." She looked at his hand for a moment, before she gently held it with both hands and looked closer at his palm, "I'm practicing my magic. The last few times I've done this, it hasn't worked, so I need to practice. I did Levy's earlier and she got the iron card, which means strength and flexibility, but crossed by that was a purple heart, which means change of heart and illness. They're complete opposites. Then I did Mira's and she got the pond, which means regret and sorrow, which was crossed by the sun, which means joy and revival. It made no fucking sense."

"You're right, neither of those make any sense…"

She gently traced a line down his palm that made his spine tingle. "Alright, spirit." She let go of his hand and shuffled her deck, taking a deep breath. A magic circle surrounded the top six cards and they laid themselves out. Then she held out the deck, "Select a card with your left hand."

He drew a card, seeing a dark mage with blood on his hands. "Don't let me see it." Cana added, "Just hand it back to me."

He felt a chill, handing it to her with the picture facing downward.

She put it aside, then shuffled the deck, four more cards floated up and laid on top of the others in a different pattern. She then laid down the dark mage card in the center, holding out the deck for him, "One more card, with your right hand."

He drew a card, seeing a bottle of some brown liquid. She took it and crossed it over the dark mage, sitting back, "What the fuck…? Why can't I do this anymore…?"

"What's the matter?"

She sighed and thought for a moment, "The dark mage, it means you will be presented with someone who you don't like, someone who makes you feel uncomfortable. And the booze, it means you will find happiness, but it will soon crash into terrible depression. But what the fuck does the dark mage have to do with that? Usually people get like….the dark mage and illness….or booze and sadness….they have nothing to do with each other." She said, "And then your minors are confusing too, I can't even read those…"

"Minors?"

"Yeah, the ring of cards around the main pair. Usually they spell a sentence. But…this….cat…sword…lightning…" She sighed, "Be wary…of power….striking…" She paused, "And then a hole….so…be wary of power striking…emptiness? No, that doesn't make sense…and there's eight more words to add to that sentence that don't even make sense…."

He put his gauntlet back on, "Well, it isn't uncommon for people to experience a sort of…magical slump…as it were. I wouldn't take it too personally."

She smiled, then sighed as she picked the cards back up and tucked them in her pocket, "Thanks for helping me, sweetie." She kissed his cheek as she stood up and stretched, "I'm gonna head home, go see if anyone's waiting by my doorstep tonight."

The Emerald Knight blushed, obviously flustered, he stood up and reached a hand out, but she left into the night already.

* * *

Levy looked at the back of one of the books she had in her arms, then she put it up on the book shelf. She then picked up the next one and did the same, until she saw the Emerald Knight go down into the library. "Hey Ant." She smiled and hopped down from the ladder, setting the books down on the table, "Any idea what time it is?"

His face was still beet red from being so flustered about what happened earlier, "…uh…did you ask me something…? Well….the sun was setting…so…I don't have the exact time…but it's sometime late at night…"

"Oh, alright." She said, then she giggled a bit, "What's wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost."

He felt his cheeks. He was so overwhelmed it felt like he had a fever, "I…I'm not sure it's a matter worth discussing…"

"Alright." She said, "As long as you're not feeling sick. Can't have vomit all over these new floors." She laughed, then reassuringly added, "I'm kidding, of course."

He sat at the table, "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Not at all." She said, "Why?"

"Erza mentioned something about your family…"

"My family?" She asked, "What about them?" The tone of her voice was unchanged, she seemed unbothered by the subject.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember what Erza said. Of course, the last time he had a detailed discussion with Erza was when he was dealing with Caesar, so needless to say everything was a little fuzzy, "She said something about an illness, if I recall…"

"Yeah…yeah, they had a bad illness. Did it spread to someone else or something?" She looked extremely worried, "They told me the quarantine ensured it was impossible for anyone else to get sick…."

"Uh…no…we were just talking about the dark pasts of all the guild mates." He said, "In any event, I'm sorry I brought it up."

"Oh, no, it's alright." She said as she sat back a bit, relieved, "Yeah, my brother died when I turned seven, I think, then I was taken to the orphanage." She yawned, "My father picked up some illness from where he was from, the country over called Bosco. It was a really rare disease, it lived inside of him dormant for years before it just suddenly attacked his immune system and put him into a vegetative state. My mom got sick days later, and so did my little brother. They said it was a miracle I didn't get it. They quarantined them all, and when we ran out of money to afford keeping them alive, they had to cut the plugs and send me off." She said, then she smiled, "That orphanage is where I learned my Solid Script magic. Before I ran away, that is. I hated that place, it was stuffy and smelled like glue. I came here because it was called 'Fairy Tail', and I remembered my mother telling me fairy tales all the time."

His eyes got wider and wider at her story, then he just growled at himself, "I really need to work on my conversational skills…"

She giggled a bit, "What makes you say that?"

"I don't know, I just feel like there could have been a more…delicate way to handle that…"

"Ant, it really doesn't bother me anymore. I know a lot of people get upset about that kind of thing, but…" She shrugged, "This is my family now. My parents would be so happy to find out this is the path I chose. Probably happier than whatever path I would have taken if I lived with them."

"Yes, I'm sure a lot of us here share that sentiment." He said, then he felt his red cheeks, somehow even hotter than before.

"You okay?"

He sighed, "Can I tell you something?"

"Yeah, of course."

He muttered something under his breath so quiet that it was impossible to pick up.

She giggled, "You're gonna need to speak up a little bit more."

"Someone…" His blush increased, "Kissed my cheek, and I don't know how to feel about it…"

She giggled even more, "Ooh, okay, who was it? It really matters who it was. Cause if it was like, Erza, then she's head over heels for you, but if it was like…I dunno, Cana, it could mean anything."

"This is stupid. Why does she have to act that way to every man in the country? I mean, I know she probably doesn't even mean anything by it…but…" His blush increased, "I'm pretty old-fashioned…when it comes to that stuff…"

She couldn't help but laugh, eventually she calmed down, "I'm sorry, that was so rude of me! Yeah, for now I would take it with a grain of salt. Cana does that to everybody, like a formality of sorts."

He grunted, "I need to go train and hide this shame…I would never hear the end of it from her if she thought I took it so seriously."

"Well, you know me, quiet as a mouse. I'll keep your secrets. I'd be careful telling stuff like that to Mira though, if she gets too excited, she might start telling everyone." She giggled.

"Yes, I'll be sure to keep quiet about it." He got up and made his exit.

* * *

Cana yawned as she opened the door with her arm, a bottle of booze in each hand. As she walked inside she called out, "If you're in here, tell me now, or forever hold your peace and leave me the hell alone."

A gray cat came scampering over and meowed, rubbing her leg.

Cana snickered, "Charlotte, not you." She walked inside, her apartment was a complete mess. It was cramped with the amount of dirty clothes she had laying around, the desk she had that was littered with garbage, bottles and old food. Her lacrama-vision had junk on top of it, her bed was half consumed by clothes that she hardly ever wore, or extra blankets. The walls had models taped up on them, tattered and torn papers that were stained with age. The walls had other mysterious stains, the floors were scuffed, especially around the feet of her bed. She sat on the edge of her bed, the cat meowing and rubbing her legs.

"Hungry?" She asked, scratching the cat's forehead. She pulled out three cards from her pocket and held them out, a dish of cat food appeared. "There."

The cat skittered over and ate the food, purring happily.

Cana flopped back on the bed and stared at her ceiling, a model she taped up there gave the same fake smile down at her, "Charlotte…" Cana sighed, her arms draping over her stomach, "Life sucks, huh?" She crossed her legs, "I can't stand being alone anymore. I've always had the guild…since…practically day one….coming here alone…going out on jobs with Loke…I dunno…it's not the same." She said, "It's not like Loke pisses me off….well…I mean, he does…but…I want someone…to care about me." She looked over as Charlotte hopped up on the bed. "I guess I need another hookup, huh?"

Charlotte sat down and purred, then meowed.

She smiled a bit, then looked back up at the ceiling. "A family is daunting…too daunting…one fuck up and you got a family….or…even trying to start a family and having it fall apart, like the Master's…..I could never have just one…just one husband, er…." She trailed off and shuddered, "I don't have the commitment for that." She said strongly, "I would fuck something up, I know it." Her eyes closed, "And that's the last thing I would ever want to do, Charlotte. It's a fucking miracle you're still alive. But even then…" She sighed, taking her cat card out of her pocket and rubbing her thumb over it, "It almost hurts more that you're my only sense of companion." Charlotte disappeared as Cana tucked the card back into her pocket.

"I can't stand being alone…" She looked out the window, "And I would never be able to have a family….I'm stuck between a rock and a brick wall…" She hugged herself, "Thank Mavis for booze and hookups…"

* * *

Makarov sat high up in one of the rafters as the sun set, drinking his beer and thinking about what Yajima told him, "Retirement, huh? Well…with a new guild, perhaps there should be a new master…but…who would I let inherit my place…?"

He thought, "There's Laxus…but he's got problems…Mystogan…a silent recluse would hardly be leadership material. The only other person I could think of is Erza…but she's still too young to take my place…"

"Master? Oh, I'm so glad to have found you!" Mirajane called, "See, while you were gone, Team Erza went out and destroyed half the town again!" She said brightly, then her smile faded as she saw his response, "Master? Um…well, the Council also wants a written letter of apology immediately…"

Makarov wilted, then he growled, "How am I supposed to retire with all you kids starting up a damn ruckus all the time?"

* * *

 **A/N:** So how was that? I added some dimension to Levy too, look out for more in the future. I've also started working on a pairing for Ant, finally after 30 chapters in. I was recently asked about what changes/differences there will be in some of the arcs. Specifically the question referenced Angel. I adore Angel, so I have all intention of keeping her in, but her fight in the Nirvana arc will probably be very different.

In terms of general arc differences, immediately there won't be that many (i.e. Tower of Heaven, Battle of Fairy Tail). I actually have several overhauls planned for GMG and Tartaros, and Key of the Starry Sky arc will have some major differences as well, basically because in the original it was about Lucy and the connections she had with her father and the Heartfilia family, so I'll probably focus more on Caesar and the gemstone knights when that time comes. I have quite a few changes for Alvarez too, maybe the entire arc will be rewritten, just because, I have yet to hear someone who claims they actually _like_ how that arc turned out.

Long story short, this story is kind of going to be like a snowball rolling downhill. The further it goes along, the more OC's and differences will come out of the woodworks, I've had a lot of time to think about how this series is going to work and I'm really excited to finally be implementing it now. I hope you guys really like these fluff chapters because I love doing them between every arc! Until next time!


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N:** Here's chapter thirty one! A friend showed me this card game, credit goes to them for this entire first chunk. Sorry if it's annoying to read, but I promise the rest of the chapter is worthwhile. Let the fluff commence!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"Ant!" Cana waved a hand, "C'mere! Let's play a game!"

It was that comment that really woke up the Emerald Knight as he more or less stumbled into the guild from a long night's rest.

Mirajane smiled, "Would you like some breakfast?"

He nodded, "Yes, thank you." Then his cheeks flushed as he looked at Cana. More or less he'd been trying to avoid her. He had absolutely no interest in being caught up in her casual sort of lifestyle.

Cana took a swig of her drink, "C'mon, everyone else is busy. It'll take fifteen minutes, tops."

He sat across from her, "What scares me is your definition of a 'game.'" He said as he rubbed his bloodshot eyes for the thousandth time.

"It's called Village Idiot." She said as she shuffled the deck a few times and laid three cards in front of him face down. "Don't touch those." Her eyes met his, "I'll tell you when you're allowed to touch those. Those are your magic cards, they're for the end of the game." She said, giving herself three and then starting to make a pile of six cards next to him, "Now this, you can look at. This is your hand. The goal of the game is to get rid of all of your cards, including those three in front of you."  
He wearily squinted at the six cards he was holding, not making heads or tails of this game from the get-go.

After she gave herself a hand, she set the deck between them face down. Then she put down three cards facing up on top of her three magic cards, "Now, put your three highest cards from your hand on top of your magic cards. Then draw three more cards."

He watched what she did closely and then he imitated her by putting his three best cards on top of his facedown ones.

"Perfect." She smiled, "So the game starts with me taking a card from the deck and putting it face up next to the deck." She said, as she did so, "Shit. Bad example. Alright, there are three cards with magic powers." She said, "Twos, nines, and tens. Twos are refresh cards, nines are invisible and tens are burn cards. So because there's a two down on the field, the stack was refreshed, but there is no stack…" She shook her head, "I'll just do this then." She put a four on top of the two, then looked up at his eyes and smiled, "Now, your goal is to put down any card that is equal to or higher than my four. You can only lay down one number, but multiple of the same number are okay too. Color and suit don't matter, just number. I'll explain more about the special cards later."

The Emerald Knight took a few moments to absorb all of that, then he smiled and put half his hand on the pile, revealing three more fours, "Like this?"

"Wow, nice." She smiled, "So when there are four of the same card, they burn." She said, the cards then 'burned' away, magic flames ate them up, but he knew they had to be somewhere, "So now we just start again. You can lay down a card to start, any card you want, and then draw so you have six cards."

He nodded, putting down a pair of five's next and then drawing until he had six cards.

"Nice." She said as she put a seven on top and drew, "So with the special cards. Twos refresh. So if you put a two down right now, I could put a three down and it would be fine. It nullifies the cards underneath. Nines are invisible. So if I put down a nine, the next card you would have to put down would have to beat my seven. And then tens are burn cards, similar to what happens when you put down four of the same card."

"So…like this?" He put a nine down.

She grinned, "Yup," She laid out two eights, "Lucky fuck I am, huh? Or maybe I'm that good." She leaned in with a sneer.

"We'll see about that." He put another eight on top of hers.

"Oh, that's how it's gonna be, huh? Well, Ant, let's take things a step further. Welcome to the royal family reunion, assholes and bitches in crowns are about to take your ass down." She laid out a jack.

"Yes, I am more than aware of how the royal family works." The Emerald Knight said, putting an ace on the pile.

"Oof!" She laughed, "That's cute though, honey." She set down a ten and the cards burned, then she set down a three, "But let's go back to square one."

"Very well." He put a five down and ended his turn.

"Hmm. Well, don't have much of a choice. He likes to come by when you least expect him, right?" She laid down a king.

"So if I put this down, it would effectively nullify my turn?" He put a nine down.

"Yeah, I'd have to beat this fucker. But I come prepared." She said with a grin, putting down another king.

"Did you?" He asked nonchalantly as he put down another nine.

Her eye twitched, "Screw you." She put down an ace.

Mirajane walked over and set down a tray of breakfast, "Ooh, Cana, I love this game! Can I watch?"

"Sure." Cana muttered, still a bit peeved.

He put a ten down, burning the pile, he then put down a pair of threes.

She smiled, "Ah, that's refreshing." She laid down at three and drew a card.

He put a six down, "I may as well ask this now, but what do those three facedown and three face up cards to the side have to do with this?"

"Oh, you'll see. Just you wait." She said, cursing under her breath at his six, "Look, this is your own fault." She laid down a queen.

He put a queen of his own down, then he went to reach from the deck, but he instead came out empty-handed, "The deck has run out…"

"Yup. Now things get interesting. You use up your hand. When your hand is gone, you use the three cards on top. When those are gone, all you have left are your three magic cards, and you're not allowed to look at them before you set them down." Cana said, putting down a two.

"I've always had fantastic luck with my magic cards." Mirajane said.

"Yeah, Mira always gets fucking aces and nines as her magic cards, it's not fair." Cana grumbled as Mirajane laughed.

The Emerald Knight put a six down, ending his turn.

"Fucking sixes…" She muttered as she laid down a six, "Your turn."

He put a jack down, ending his turn.

"Ooh." She smiled, laying down an ace, "Things are getting real now."

He put a ten down, burning the deck, then he put a two down.

"Awfully quiet." She said as she set down a five.

"Just concentrating." He put an ace down.

She put a ten out, then the cards burned away and she blinked, "Wait…fuck…that was really stupid…" She put a two out. "Screw me up the asshole."

"Cana." Mirajane said, "Watch your language. You always get so foul when you play these games."

"Whatever, it's fine, it's not like there are any kids in the guild anymore." She took a swig of her drink.

"Just take a deep breath."

She sighed and crossed her arms, "Your turn."

The Emerald Knight put one of his face up jacks on top of her two.

"Shit. I'll get this over with." She picked up her eight that was on top of one of her magic cards and picked up the cards they had set down, nervously biting her lip, "Your turn."

A small smile crept onto his face, he put his remaining face-up cards out, they were both kings.

She smiled as well, "Oh, that's sweet of you." She said as she set out a two.

He focused on his last three facedown cards, then he put one of them out. Luckily for him, all cards would work, so he was relieved to see his card be a seven.

She put down an eight, tapping her leg like crazy.

"Hmm…so I must beat an eight…" He put a face down card on the pile, "No!" It was a six.

Cana laughed, "Yes! I never lose this game!" She set out her jack and got rid of her hand, "Alright…" She nervously slid her hands together.

Mirajane giggled, "I could cut the tension with a knife! Elf and I used to play all the time, he's quite good at it."

"I wouldn't be so hasty with your judgements." The Emerald Knight put a two on top of her jack.

"Two, huh? Good thing I have another." She set out her other jack that was on top of her magic card.

"Then take this." The Emerald Knight put down two kings.

She wilted, "You ass…" She sank and picked up all the cards, since her queen, the last card on top of her magic cards, couldn't beat the king.

Mirajane giggled, "Ant, I think you have this game in the bag."

"We'll see I suppose." The Emerald Knight put a six out.

"Mmm hmm." Cana laid down two jacks.

His eye twitched, he put a seven down, since it couldn't beat the jacks, he received the entire pile again.

Cana laid down a queen next.

"This game may surpass that age of the cosmos…" He muttered as he had to take the queen as well.

She laughed, "Here, then." She put out a two.

He put a six out, a card he'd been trying to get rid of for what felt like ages at this point.

She snickered and put out two kings.

He wilted and received the pile as his hand.

Cana smiled, laughing a bit.

"Alright Cana, win this for us." Mirajane said.

"Wait, I thought you wanted Ant to win." Jet said. The Emerald Knight looked up and saw there was a whole crowd around them.

Mirajane smiled, "I do."

"There's no use trying to figure her out." Droy muttered.

Cana took a deep breath, holding her hand over her magic cards. She closed her eyes and focused, then flipped out a seven.

He put a queen out on top of her seven.

She took a deep breath and held her hands over her cards again, then flipped a nine, earning a roar from the crown as Cana snickered.

"There's no way you'll be able to beat these." He put out two kings.

Cana took a deep breath, "This is it." She whispered to her card, flipping it.

It was…

A queen.

"No!" Cana screamed as she picked them all up, downing her entire drink as the crowd cheered and laughed.

The Emerald Knight regained his smile, putting a six down.

She put down a seven, her eyes hardened with focus.

He matched her seven with one of his own.

She put down two queens, shaking with nervousness.

He reluctantly got the pile back as he had nothing to match that with.

Cana nervously sighed as she set out two kings.

The crowd went silent with anticipation.

He put a two out, "The field has been reset."

"And the game has ended." She set down a nine, her last card.

The crowd gave a disappointed sigh as they dispersed.

"Village. Idiot." Cana pointed and laughed.

Mirajane hugged the Emerald Knight, "That was mightily impressive for your first time playing. I've never seen anyone get so close to beating Cana at one of her games."

"I was sure she had more cards in her hand…" The Emerald Knight sighed.

Cana regathered her cards, then smiled at the Emerald Knight, "That was like, the best game I ever played. The two of us should go out for dinner sometime. On me."

His cheeks flushed. She said that to him before. But he knew better. He didn't want to get involved in her games, "Yes…perhaps. I'm busy at the moment though, I need to train."

"Uh huh. Well, I need to train too, but I think we can spare two hours of our time for some dinner. It'll be fun, trust me. I know a nice restaurant, I've been saving up to go there. They have the best shrimp cocktails."

His face scrunched up in thought. He tried to think of an excuse but there wasn't anything he could come up with without coming off as incredibly rude. Damn his chivalrous and polite nature, "Well, when you put it that way…"

She giggled, "Great, I have a new dress I've been dying to try on." She stood up, "It's navy blue, if you wanted to wear a tie to match." She winked as she walked off.

Mirajane walked over and picked up his empty plate and silverware.

"A tie?" He asked to himself as Cana walked off, "Why wouldn't I wear my armor, if someone attacks us during the dinner, I'll need to fight."

Mirajane stopped in her tracks, "Armor? In a diner?" She turned around, "Do you have a suit?"

"Well…" His memory went back to the unfavorable times of when he was on the horrid Duke Everlue quest, "Technically the answer to that would be yes…but…"

She narrowed her eyes and looked over him, "I think you would look better in a tuxedo. It would really suit you more."

He cowered, "Should I go out and look for one?"

"Of course not. I'll fit you for one, if you'd like. Elfman has some old tuxedos he doesn't really fit into anymore, I could just tailor those."

He blushed, "I see…well…if you think wearing a tuxedo would look better than wearing my armor…"

She walked behind the bar and told another barmaid to fill in for her, "Okay, come on, I'll take you to my house and get fitted." She said, "It shouldn't take long. Master will have my head if he sees me off duty, but I don't think he'll be leaving his office any time soon."

He nodded and followed after her, it was quite a distance before they made it to a small house on a grassy field, the field grew all sorts of flowers. It was almost too picturesque, it made perfect sense that this was Mirajane's house. It was just outside of the city, close to the guild. She walked inside, "I'm going to ask you to take your shoes off just because Elfman dusted the other day, and he would get upset if we got the floors dirty right away."

They walked into the kitchen, a quaint little room with knickknacks, a table, counters, an oven and a fridge. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"I might as well take my entire set of armor off." He took his armor and boots off, until he was in nothing but his tunic and pants, then he entered her house, "You have a nice home."

"Aw, thank you. Elf picked it out for us, he wanted a big study, I wanted a big kitchen, and Lisanna wanted a nice yard. We got all three." She smiled, taking off her heels and smiling, "You can follow me upstairs, we'll get to work."

"You're going through a lot of trouble for me…" He said as the pair went upstairs.

"Oh, it's nothing." She said as she led him to her room, it was surprisingly dark, with black, purple and blue colors. "Okay, now where is my measuring tape…" She mused, puttering around for things. On her dresser he saw some photos, there were also photos on the wall, as well as her own photos. Most of her own photos were cover spreads where she was in a bikini, somewhere on the posters it said, 'Sorcerer Weekly'. He blushed and immediately looked away from anything too revealing.

"Here it is." She pulled it out from a drawer, "Okay, I'll do some measurements." She stood next to him and measured him. Her gentle hands would occasionally touch his shoulders and arms, then his chest, his torso, and then she paused, "Can I do the inseam?"

"…inseam…?"

She nodded with a smile, pointing from her inner thigh down to her foot, "Here."

He blushed a deep red, "If…if it's necessary…"

"Mmm hmm." She said, getting on her knees and measuring him, her hand only brushing his crotch for about a second before she rolled the tape measure back up, "Perfect. In about fifteen minutes, I'll have the tuxedo ready. Make yourself at home."

He could swear he felt smoke coming out of his ears as she left, letting out a few loose shivers.

After what felt like hours, Mirajane came back in with a folded suit, "Okay, you can try this on."

He went in the bathroom, coming out in a slick navy blue tuxedo, "This brings back all sorts of memories…right now…"

"Ooh, it's perfect." She smiled, "I was worried I didn't hem the pants enough, but it's perfect." She squeezed him, "This has restored my faith in my sewing skills."

"I'm glad to have…helped you…" He choked.

"Okay, do you know if Cana is waiting for you, or were you going to go later?"

"I…uh…don't believe she specified any time…"

She giggled, "Classic Cana. Well, she probably meant tonight. But you're more than welcome to stay here in that suit until later, just so you don't get it destroyed in the guild. And I'm sure Happy would gladly harass you."

"He would…in a heartbeat…going to the guild in this is definitely not a good idea…"

"Would you like me to make you something then? It's about….six hours until dinner time."

"I might return to my house."

"Okay." She said with a smile, "Thank you for visiting. You're always welcome." She bowed.

"I appreciate your help with the suit." He smiled back.

* * *

The Emerald Knight was adjusting his bow when he heard a knock on his door. He already hated being in this suit. It pressed against his body oddly and he felt just so, naked to the world. He answered the door after what felt like a while.

He was shocked at what he saw. A gorgeous deep blue dress that reached the floor, layered with silks and lace. It was strapless, but she wore matching dark blue opera gloves, they looked silk. Her shoes had at least four inch heels, so she was taller than him. Her hair was tied up in a bun, a few curled tresses hanging down by her face. A row of pearls rested around her neck, dark blue eye-shadow around her eyes, and glossy lipstick as well. She smiled, her brown eyes almost glowed, "Damn, you look hot."

He became red hot again. What in god's name did he get himself into? He had trouble ever picturing Cana in a dress, he didn't think it was really her thing, what, with how she always acted. So to see her like this left him feeling, many things.

"Alright, let's go." She held a hand out, "It should be quiet today, it is a Tuesday night."

He looked at her hand and he felt his chest tighten. Could he really do this? The last woman he went out to dinner with in an intimate setting like this was Miranda, and while it wasn't exactly like she would come back one day and get jealous, it left for a lot of butterflies in his stomach. He rigidly grasped her hand and followed her out.

It was fairly silent as they walked down the street, Cana's eyes mostly remained on the sidewalk until she said, "This your first time dining out in Magnolia?"

"Not necessarily…I think the rest of Natsu's team and I have possibly eaten out here before."

She nodded, "Well, I think this dinner will be a little…cleaner. I'll try not to get too plastered." She teased with a smile.

And, there it was. He faced forward. If this woman made a fool out of herself and got drunk, so help him.

"Shy, huh?"

He blushed, "I'm sorry, there's a lot on my mind."

"That's alright, I like that." She giggled a bit and planted a kiss his cheek, "It's cute. Shows you actually have a brain in your head."

His blush deepened, "Did you think I didn't have a brain when you first saw me?"

She laughed as they made it to the diner, "No, I knew you did. And it's exactly what I want to figure out. I wanna see what goes on in there." She said as they walked inside. She walked forward up to the podium, "Table for two."

"Yes…" The man behind the podium said, "That way." He pointed.

"Thanks." Cana said as they started walking, "Ooh, my favorite seat."

He sat across from her, "Why is it your favorite?"

"Has access to both windows." She said as she sat down, "You can watch all the crazy people of Magnolia walk by. I love people-watching."

He snickered, then he laughed for a while, "That activity sounds quite enjoyable!"

"It really is. Just imagining all the crazy shit they're thinking of." Her eyes darted out the window, "Like that old lady with her fur coat and three tiny dogs. She's got a husband back at home, willing to bet he's like thirty, complete gold-digger."

"It's saddening how shallow people can truly be."

"Yup…" She sighed, the waiter walked over.

"Drinks?" He asked, putting down a basket of bread.

"Martini. Just one, for now." Cana said.

"Of course." He said, looking at the Emerald Knight.

"I'll just take water."

He nodded, and walked off after saying, "Very well."

Cana crossed her legs and took a piece of bread, slicing it in half with the knife and putting some butter on it, "If I eat this, I can't get wasted." It almost sounded like she was telling herself that more than him.

He looked out the window, "Where has Lisanna been all this time, how come I've never seen her?"

"Lisanna?" She asked, "Good thing you're asking me. You're not gonna want to talk about that to Elfman or Mira, or you'll get a lot of tears."

"Tears…did something happen?"

"She's dead."

"Dead?" He repeated, glaring at people who stared at his outburst.

"Yeah." She said after taking a bite of her bread, "Elfman killed her."

"What?" His eyes widened.

"He did a full body take over and lost control of himself. Lucky after he killed her he snapped back into it before he took Mira out too."

"Wow…I had no idea…" He went pale.

"So yeah, they're still pretty sensitive about the whole thing. She was sweet as candy, Lisanna…." She sighed, "When she died, the guild just…almost felt empty…hollow…Mira changed _a lot_ ….Natsu changed a bit…Elfman changed a lot too…Happy….yeah, it affected a lot of people."

He gave a slight nod, "That's just terrible…"

She nodded, the waiter came back over with their drinks and she took a sip of hers, "Ah…that's better…"

He took a sip of his water, as usual, his conversational skills were fantastic.

"You know what else sucks?"

"Hmm?"

"I can't work with Loke anymore. My team's gone now. I'm solo."

"Loke? What happened to him?"

"Turns out he's a celestial spirit."

"He was a what?"

"Celestial spirit."

He looked hopelessly confused, "How in blazes was he a member of Fairy Tail, then?"

"He hardly was. He had this bitch of a master from Blue Pegasus named Karen Lilica. She treated her spirits horribly. So Loke stood up for himself and Aries, another spirit she owned, by refusing to work for her. He just stayed in our world so she couldn't use her spirits to work, sort of a protest. But it backfired because Karen went on a job anyway and got killed, so he was exiled from the Celestial world. But he told me some girl appealed to the king and now he belongs to her. So I doubt we'll see him in Fairy Tail that much at all anymore."

The Emerald Knight blinked a few times as he thought. He certainly knew why Loke was so terrified of him now, after what Caesar went and blurted to him.

"So…now I'm going solo…which sucks, I can't do missions by myself, I get creamed…Laxus was right, I'm just a shame on the guild at this point…" She sighed as she took a sip of her drink.

"Well I mean, I could help you sometimes. I mean I know I'm part of Natsu's team and all, but sometimes we split off and do our own things. Like right now, after all that Phantom Lord chaos things are a bit gentler."

"Really?" She smiled, "That'd be great."

The waiter came over, "And what would you like for dinner?"

"I'll just have a shrimp cocktail." Cana said, "And another martini."

"I'll take your finest steak." The Emerald Knight said.

"Of course." He nodded and walked off.

"I might want to try a sliver of that steak when you get it." Cana said.

The Emerald Knight nodded, "I doubt I'll be able to finish it anyway."

She smiled, then giggled for quite a while.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing…I've never heard a man worry about not finishing his food…usually they worry about eating too much…"

He blushed and looked away, "It doesn't exactly take much to fill me up…to be honest…"

She laughed, "Aw, that's so cute!"

"What is?"

"You, and your eating habits."

He muttered something under his breath and he sunk a bit in his seat.

She looked outside as the street lamps turned on, "Did you want to do more people watching?"

He followed her eye, "If anyone is merrily strolling the streets this hour, sure."

"Of course they are." She said, taking a sip of her drink, "Like that guy. With a huge bag of apples…what the fuck is he doing with all of those? Making a hell of a lot of apple pies…?"

"I can't blame him, apple pies are good."

"They are. I haven't had one in ages…"

"Neither have I."

"Wanna order one for desert? We could share it."

"Honestly the steak is going to fill me up enough."

"Yeah, that's true, I forgot." She finished her drink, then the waiter brought a steak and shrimp cocktail, as well as a new martini, "Thanks hon." Cana said as the waiter walked off, she pulled off one of the shrimp and dipped it in sauce, eating it, "I wonder if shrimp are an aphrodisiac."

"A…a what…?"

"Nothing." She said with a smile as she ate a shrimp, "Just nothing." She took a sip of her drink, "How's Team Natsu been treating you?"

He smiled, cutting up his steak, "I wouldn't trade it for the world." He said, "I love them all very much."

"Aw. Even Erza?"

He paused, "She's…been acting odd lately…"

"Has she? She's always kinda odd if you ask me."

"Well then, she's been acting _odder_ than usual."

"What makes you say that?"

"Uh…well…it's hard to explain…she just…seems on edge…more so than usual…and the things she says…they're not very filtered…she's just been rather scatterbrained, that's all."

"Scatterbrained? Erza? Did she take a hit to the head or something?"

"Not that I know of."

"Huh…I could try talking to her. Honestly, Mira has more of a chance of getting through to her, since they used to be like Natsu and Gray."

"I don't think it can helped, whatever it is. She just seems to push any effort to help her away. I should know, I tried."

"Huh…I dunno then." She shrugged, "Maybe it's just that time of the month."

He turned pink, "If that were the case, then it would be a very long month…"

"Shit, how long has she been being weird?"

"As long as I can remember at this point. Though you could attribute it to me not knowing her very well. But…we've been on countless jobs…although it could be speculated that she is the one on the team that I know least about…"

"She's a closed book, that's for sure. I don't even think she has feelings."

"She is very…stoic…"

"Oh yeah." She ate he last shrimp and finished her glass, "It's almost laughable."

He did his best to finish his steak, but just like what normally tended to happen, he was getting pretty full.

She smiled, "Want some help?"

"That would be magnificent."

She sat up a bit and took his plate, including his fork, finishing it for him, "Man that was pretty good." She said through a mouthful, "This place is great, if I could cook, this is where I'd want to work."

"The steak was rather excellent." He said.

She nodded, finishing his plate, "Man, we have to do this again. Maybe in the afternoon so we can do more people watching."

He snickered for a bit, "That does sound a good way to pass some time."

She reached in her dress, sticking her tongue out as she fished for her wallet. She pulled it out and put all her money down on the table, "There we go…" She counted it, "Yeah, I think this should be enough." She said, then she called out, "Check, please!"

"Wait!" The Emerald Knight said, reaching for his own wallet, "I should pay."

"I said I would."

"…but I should at least pay for what I ate…"

The waiter handed them a check and walked off.

"It's fine, sweetie, I know about that asshole debt collector." She said, opening the folder and peeking at it, "I can pay for this." She tucked her money inside, "I saved up for this anyway."

"But…Cana…"

"It's fine." She giggled, putting it down and tucking her empty wallet back in her dress, "I'll go on a job tomorrow and it'll be fine."

He gave a small nod. Again, this flew into the face of his chivalrous nature, so he just felt this burning hypocrisy within himself.

She stood up, "Want me to walk you home?"

He blushed and stood up with her, "It's not necessary."

"Are you sure? I have my magic on me, I just wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt."

He blush increased. He was rather touched by that, "I suppose you have a good point."

They waved as they walked out, heading down the streets. She shuddered, "Damn, who knew it'd get so cold out, it's summer…"

He put an arm around her and hugged her close, giving her a squeeze, "Better?"

Her cheeks turned a bit pink. "Yeah." She smiled, almost shocked, "A lot better, thanks." She kissed his cheek.

He smiled, "In the future, if there's a job that you need extra assistance on, you can always ask me for help…assuming I'm not out with Natsu and the others."

"Yeah, that'd be really fun." She said, then she licked her lips, "Hey…uh…did you want to come back to my place?"

"Come…back to your place…?" He repeated slowly.

"Uh huh." She smiled.

"Well, I mean…I suppose…but it's getting late…"

"Uh huh."

"…you're confusing me…"

She rolled her eyes, "Forget it." She squeezed him back, "I'll just take you home."

"Very well."

The rest of the trip was fairly quiet, until they reached his house. She smiled, "I really had fun, Ant. That's not something I can say a lot."

"I had fun as well." He smiled back, "Thank you, it was a very nice dinner."

"Have a nice night, okay?" She said sweetly, before planting a kiss on his lips and heading off.

He watched her walk off, about to give a farewell of his own, but he was too flustered to speak. Then he teared up. It felt like Miranda had been watching him that entire night. He shivered, at this rate he was going to lose it, could he ever truly leave her behind?

* * *

 **A/N:** Poor Ant. :'( What did you think? Like it? Send a review! Special thanks to rab0 for the generous review, it really made my day! :) Yeah, I kind of figured doing the Loke arc would be pointless because Ant isn't a celestial wizard so he wouldn't really be able to trigger the Celestial Spirit King. I'll probably treat you all to one more fluff chapter before I get ready for the Tower of Heaven. Until next time!


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N:** Here's chapter thirty-two! The last fluff chapter before some new arcs. I'm sure you've had enough of my foreshadowing with Erza, but here's one more healthy dose before the actual Tower of Heaven. ;) Hope you like it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

The Emerald Knight ran and ran through the deep dark corridor which hopefully led to some sort of exit. He soon started panting, feeling a burning sensation in his lungs, he wouldn't be able to keep running this fast for long. He then heard a sudden crash, as what he feared most finally caught up with him.

"Looks like I got you, you little insect!" Gajeel laughed, slamming his head down with an iron club. The Emerald Knight coughed up blood and fell to the ground, without his armor everything hurt ten times as much as it normally would. He scampered away from Gajeel, getting hit a few more times in his back by iron clubs, until he ran into a wall.

"No…" He felt the wall, a dead end practically signing his life away, "No!" He screamed.

Gajeel laughed and laughed, "Now here comes the fun part. The part where I get to kill you!" His arms turned to swords and he ripped open the Emerald Knight in a bloodied mess.

Harsh knocking was heard next, and the Emerald Knight's eyes snapped open. He lurched up in his bed, hearing someone loudly knocking on the door. He panted as if he ran a marathon, sweat was all over his forehead. He put a hand to his heart and closed his eyes, trying to cool down a bit. He then suited up and answered the door, seeing Erza on the other side.

"Ant." She had a smile on her face, her eyes still looking a bit dark. Her smile soon faded, "Ant…? You look exhausted. How much sleep did you get?"

"Not much…" He admitted.

"I see…" She mused, "I was going to ask if you wanted to train, but perhaps I should let you sleep in."

"No." He said, "I need to train. I need to get better…if I knew how to requip during Phantom…I wouldn't have been so…pathetic…"

"Ant, we've already discussed, you aren't pathetic." She smiled, "Don't listen to what they say. You're already one of the best wizards in the guild."

He stepped outside and shut the door behind him, "I may not be pathetic, but I'm not quite sure the reverse is true."

She walked beside him as they went outside, "You're already better than Laxus. I think you were the moment you walked in the guild."

"Laxus?" He asked, "I feel as though he could flick us all away with his pinky finger if he wanted to…"

"If the Master were to pick a guild master after his retirement, you would be the one he would select over Laxus. In a heartbeat. What you lack in magical and physical power, you make up in here." She poked his chest, smiling, "You have heart, and justice. Standing on the right side in war is half the battle. If you stand up for what's right, and fight with all you have, with all your power, then you're a powerful wizard. What you have, it's a recipe for S-Class." She smiled, "You're closer than ever, Ant, though you might not believe it."

He was touched by her words. Was this the same person who was so nasty to him after he broke the rules on Galuna? "The master should choose you after he retires, if anything."

"Me?" She asked, pausing, "…I'm not entirely sure about that…"

"It's quite obvious, you're the only reliable S-Class wizard he can really call upon."

She materialized a sword, "As things are now…in the current position things are in, it is in the Master's best interest to stay Master."

He drew his lance and held his shield out, "That's a fair assessment."

"What sort of training would you like to do today?"

"I'm not sure…I really wish I could get a better handle on requip…"

She nodded, putting her sword away, "Then let's start with meditation. You need a lot of magic power to requip, and the best way to gain more magic power is to stretch your internal magic meter with meditation."

He sheathed his lance and put his shield away, "That makes perfect sense."

Her dark eyes looked around, "Where is a very peaceful place? Somewhere we can sit."

"Shall we go inside my house?"

"No, I'd prefer to stay outside." She started walking around his yard, "Ah, a pond. That will be perfect." She said as she sat down next to it, "Join me."  
He nodded and sat next to her.

She rested her hands on her knees, still in her armor. Her eyes closed, "Take a deep breath in." She paused as they inhaled, "And out…" Erza said as they exhaled. "Eliminate all the thoughts in your mind. Every person you know, every word you've heard and spoken, every idea you've had. You want your soul to be empty in this time, ready to grow. Once you've reached a state of complete peace…" She paused for a moment, "Your strength will grow. Soon, this meditation will grant you much more power, but for now, it's best to practice slipping into that phase with ease."

He closed his eyes, and his breathing started to slow. His muscles relaxed as he began to slowly empty his mind.

" _What do ya have your eyes closed for, punk!"_ Gajeel's voice roared inside his head, he flinched and looked around like a frightened animal.

The Emerald Knight put a hand on his heart, "This is going to be much more difficult than I anticipated…"

Erza's eyes opened as she looked over to him, "Would you like to talk about something on your mind?"

"It's…nothing…I'm just still recuperating from Phantom…"

"Phantom…yes, their wizards were very powerful, I can see why. It's relieving that they're disbanded, at least, one untrustworthy guild is out of the way." She closed her eyes again, "Being bartered around as an object must have hurt considerably…" She said, which almost surprised him as she continued, "People only valued you as an object to their forces, another step in their goal, when really you have a mind of your own, a drive that you control, a destiny laid ahead of you…" She trailed off, then cleared her throat, "Apologies, I should stop talking and let you meditate…"

He looked at his hand, the one that punched Caesar in the jaw, "I would've killed him, that day when you all found me…if I could've gotten away with it…"

"Would you regret that?" Erza asked as she looked down at her reflection in the pond.

"If there were no repercussions to me, I wouldn't." He said, "The man had a place in making me who I am today, partly at least. And he did provide me with food and shelter during my coming of age. But now the man simply serves no point. His mind is decaying at an incredibly fast rate, and he only seems to care about himself, now that all the other knights have died…"

She watched the rings in the water that formed as some ducks waddled in the pond. "Where do you think he is now?"

"I doubt he leaves those quarters much. I'm just very worried that he may try that again…luckily he has no connection with any dark guilds…and there probably isn't another legal guild that would resort to that sort of thing."

"Don't speak so soon." She said quietly.

He turned to face her, then he looked back into the pond, "Yes…well…let's hope he doesn't try anything again…that's why I spoke to him in the first place…to tell him to leave us alone…"

She closed her eyes, then yawned, blushing a bit as she covered her mouth.

He snickered, "You're more tired than I am."

"I…I've just had unrestful sleep, that's all." She muttered.

"Yes, myself as well."

She slowly stood up, "Well. Some resort to coffee as a source of energy. I resort to solo missions. I'm going to head to the guild and search for a job, perhaps help with some repairs as well. Of course, you're free to meditate, but it seems both of us are too tired for much vigorous training."

* * *

After his mediation, the Emerald Knight went back inside, seeing Cana asleep on his couch.

He smiled and took his helmet off, hanging it up with the rest of his armor.

As he hung up his armor, she sat up and yawned, "Oh, hey Ant…" She smiled, "Hope you don't mind, I crashed here. Your house is so nice…"

He smiled back, "Why don't I make you some tea?"

"Oh, that'd be great. Damn, I haven't had tea in ages."

He went in the kitchen and started futzing with a few different concoctions at once in addition to the tea. His hands shook a bit as he was putting everything together. _This is so wrong…what would Miranda think of this?_ A teacup slipped out of his grasp and shattered on the floor. He swallowed hard, Cana had to have heard that, given how small his house was, "Uh…don't come in here! There's broken glass all over the floor…" He got down on his hands and knees and tidied up the mess.

She peered around the corner, "I could clean that up for you. What, you got a case of butterfingers or something?" She smiled.

"It's alright, just make yourself at home, I'll be finished in a moment."

"Alright, I'm gonna take a piss then, where's your bathroom?"

"Up the stairs, to the left."

"Thanks." Cana said as she went upstairs. A few minutes later she came back down, "Man, I haven't used stairs in a house in a while. I lived in a house for like, five years before I came to the guild, but I honestly don't remember it."

"Where did you say you were quartered, Fairy Hills?" The Emerald Knight asked as he handed her a teacup and they both sat on the couch.

"Uh huh, the room next to Laki's." She said, "Laki's room seems great…until you go into the basement…"

"The basement?" He asked as he took a sip of his own teacup.

"Ever heard of BDSM?"

"…what…what is that? Is that a disease?"

She snickered, "No…no…not necessarily…don't worry about it. Just don't go in her basement."

"I wasn't planning on it."

She took a sip of her tea and melted, "Man…I forgot how good tea was…" She said before she drank it all.

"I've always enjoyed it." He said, everything he learned about cooking came straight from Miranda. Caesar and the other knights had no grace when it came to their culinary skills, or lack thereof.

"Mira makes some damn good tea, but I never bother to try it." She said, putting her cup down, "She makes amazing food. And she's really nice, and she's hot. This is why I think she should broaden her horizons."

The entire subject of Mirajane just made him uncomfortable now. Whether she liked Laxus or not he only desired to view her in a professional manner from here on. He stood up and left the room, futzing around with his oven. When he came back, he handed Cana a dish with two slices of apple pie. He also had a slice for himself, "I haven't gotten any close to figuring out what's wrong with Erza."

Cana smiled as he handed her a plate of pie. She leaned in and kissed his cheek, "Thanks cutie. You're so thoughtful."

His cheeks flushed pink, "Well, you did say it has been a while since you've had some…and…I wanted some too." He took a bite.

She giggled a bit and took a bite, "Hot damn, Ant, you can cook! Where'd you learn to cook like this?"

He swallowed his second bite nervously, "Someone taught me…"

"Who?"

"Uh…one of my fellow knights…"

She kicked her feet up on the table, "Tell me about them."

"The…other gemstone knights? Well…they were a secret order to protect Fiore from dark guilds…but…it didn't really work out, I'm the last surviving knight, along with our taskmaster, the nobleman Archduke Caesar…"

"What were they like?"

"…honorable…polite…courageous…sort of like me…"

She giggled a bit, speaking through a mouthful, "Were they modest too?"

"Not really…now that I think about it most of them were very different from me. Perhaps I chose to remember them as at least ambitious…"

"Missed that joke entirely, huh?"

He blinked a few times, then he narrowed his eyes, "I don't see what's so bad about having a positive self-image of yourself…"

She shrugged, "I sure as hell don't. I don't know a lot of people who do. Well, besides the Master. And Natsu. And Gray too, probably. Alright, maybe it's more of a girl thing."

"Those two are quite dependable in the midst of battle, if I've learned anything."

"Natsu and Gray? Of course they are. When you put two powerful elements together like that, it's gonna cause some damage. Especially when they're opposites. If fire doesn't work, then the opposite usually does."

He nodded, "It's an amazing experience being a part of that team, I feel like most of the time it's them pulling most of the weight however."

"Eh, you'll settle in eventually. You're still learning magic, right? It's impressive that you're even _alive_ right now." She pat his shoulder and chuckled.

His weary eyes closed. The very sentiment just did nothing but reminded him of Gajeel. If only he was wearing his armor during that fight, he would've shown that iron pile of scum. He hoped never to see that man again.

Cana cocked an eyebrow curiously, then squeezed her way behind him, massaging his shoulders, "Jeez, you're stiff. You should do some yoga or something so you don't pull a muscle."

She hit that right on the nose. He commonly pulled muscles. He could pull a muscle by raising his hand for attention depending on how much effort was put into it. His eyes squeezed shut. _This is wrong…so wrong._ He stiffened even more, "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry? For what?" Her hands moved down from his shoulders to his back.

"Being so rigid."

"It's fine, it just means you're training. Growing." She said, rubbing his back and shoulders expertly. She even rubbed his arms as well, "Try bananas. They have that stuff, I forget what it's called, it helps your muscles."

"Potassium."

"Yeah, that's it. Protein too. That helps. I don't think bananas have protein though." She giggled.

He relaxed a bit as she kept massaging him, "The truth is I haven't been able to sleep for about…four or five days now…"

"Seriously?" She asked, "Nightmares?"

He felt like he was a child to admitting to this, but he nodded anyway.

"I fucking hate those. I get that too, about the same time every year. Usually I just drink till I pass out, then I don't have any dreams. I'm sure Porlyusica could give you something if you don't want to talk about it."

"…I could tell you…Gajeel kills me…every time I go to sleep…it gets more horrid each time…"

"Gajeel…that Phantom fuck? Man, he's never coming back, don't worry about him." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his neck, "Besides, the guild will protect you."

"But…I can't just rely on everyone else. I need to get stronger…that's why I've been trying to learn how to requip from Erza…but…I haven't been really successful lately…"

"You'll get there if you keep practicing. Reequipping is really hard to learn." She said, "Erza tried to teach me when I was little but I gave up. It's frustrating, but it's really helpful when you learn it. It's just really draining, you need to have a huge magic pool."

He gave a nod, then he finally returned her embrace. She wasn't quite used to having him give her such an adoring hug yet, "There's…something else I need to tell you…"

"Uh huh?"

"Do you see that picture on my desk…the woman in the picture…?"

She leaned in a bit, he felt her body press against his back, "Yeah, I see her. She's pretty, who is it?"

"Her name was Miranda…she was the Amethyst Knight…she…taught me how to cook like that…she…taught me a lot…she taught me how to be respectable gentleman instead of a boorish young fool…"

"Aw." She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder, "Were you two…?"

"She was my fiancée."

"Shit." Her eyes widened, "Here I am, about to ask you out and you're already engaged."

"Cana…" He said, "All the other knights died, remember?"

"Well…just cause she's dead doesn't mean you can't be engaged." She said, "The Master's wife has been dead for years but he's never moved on. Well, then again, he's over eighty…"

"I…just wanted to warn you…that…I want to move on…but sometimes…I might be…slow…"

"That's alright." She rubbed his shoulders, "Sometimes I might be fast. We'll find a middle ground, we'll compromise."

He relaxed drastically at her touch. He felt his cheeks heat up quite a bit as he leaned in and kissed her lips.

She kissed him back, "Aw." She pet his hair, "You're so sweet."

"Did you want another piece of pie?"

She giggled, "I really shouldn't." She looked up at the clock, "My empty wallet is hungry, I should go on a job before its nightfall. Did you want to come with me?"

"And here I thought I was about to nap on your lap." He smiled, "I would love to work with you. There's a new attack I've been working on, this will be the perfect practice."

* * *

 **A/N:** So? Any thoughts? Send a review! Think of this shorter chapter as a sort of payback for the extra-long chapter thirty one. Thanks for reading! I appreciate all the kind reviews I've been given recently. Ragna asked me another question so I will answer it here.

My subsequent OC's will probably have little to do with the gemstone knights, since most of them are dead, and Caesar is really too batshit crazy to do anything with himself other than brood and be insane, so they'll probably just keep being backstory material. Newer OC's will be from different backgrounds just so I can explore new characters and different personality styles. I hope I was able to somewhat answer your question! Next time, I'll start the Tower of Heaven!


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N:** Here's chapter thirty three! I did a last minute character swap, Milianna has been replaced by an OC. Apologies for the last-minute swap.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

The Emerald Knight took a huge sigh, sitting at one of the outdoor tables by where the guild was being rebuilt. After his job with Cana, he did two more with Natsu's team. He was exhausted, but at least one of their rewards were seaside tickets to an Akane Beach resort.

"No way, Loke's a celestial spirit?" Natsu asked.

The Emerald Knight nodded, "That's what Cana told me, yes…"

"Never saw that coming." Gray said.

"I guess he always did smell weird…like a nonhuman…" Natsu said, "I wonder if he knows that giant gorilla Virgo or not…"

"It's very possible." The Emerald Knight said.

"Man, celestial spirits are so cool…I wish I was one." Natsu said.

"Which one would you be?" Happy asked.

"Duh, a dragon!"

"Jeez, what an idiot…" Gray said as he watched Natsu prance around like a dragon.

"Whatever, I'm totally psyched for this beach vacation or whatever it is, I'm gonna beat your ass in volleyball so hard Gray!" Natsu smiled, Gray took a deep sigh yet again.

The Emerald Knight chuckled, some time to relax would be nice.

"Alright." Erza said, "All the bags are in my requip space." She said, still in her suit of armor. She sat across from the Emerald Knight, "Are you sure you didn't want to bring someone else? Besides Gray and Natsu?" She smiled. "I'd say you could go without me, but then you'd have to bring all your bags yourself."

The Emerald Knight shook his head, "The job specifically awarded the five of us, so the five of us should go." He said.

Akane resort was quite nice. The water was clear as crystal and the temperature was very relaxing. Natsu and Gray were playing in the water, with Happy flying around them, with Happy reminding Gray not to lose his swim trunks every so often, while the Emerald Knight and Erza were sitting further from the shore. Erza was in a large luxurious chair, while the Emerald Knight sat on the blanket, practicing his meditating. Even if it was a vacation, he still wanted to get stronger. He was the most clothed out of all them, still wearing his tunic and pants while the rest of them wore bathing suits.

A familiar figure hugged the trunk of a tree, blue locks curled by her shoulders, "Gray…you beautiful volleyball master…one day you'll be mine…" She saw the ball fly over where she was and disappeared into the water, "But not now!" She said as she shrunk away.

Erza's eyes drifted closed as the sun warmed her over, setting over the horizon. A chorus of Natsu's laughter filled the air, the smells of fish from Happy stuffing his face, the occasional chill in the air when Gray used his magic to beat Natsu. It all eased over her and merged into nothing.

The cold wind whipping around in the air, the smell of rotting wood and smoke filling the air. Harsh cries and sobbing echoed off of wooden and stone surfaces, the sound of tons of rocks slamming into the ground added to the mess. Babies crying, bodies falling, whips being lashed out at lines of people carrying crates. Iron doors crashing down to the ground, crushing those who tried to escape. As she dropped a load of cargo, she fell to the ground, feeling a whip searing into her back and hearing the roaring voice boom over her. She squeezed her small hands into balled fists, feeling the strain of the chains that tightly wrapped around her growing wrists. She covered her teary eyes and heard a familiar chime in her head. This voice was even louder than the one over her, "Erza…freedom does not exist in this world!"

She gasped and sat up, holding her forehead. Her eyes darted to her wrists, unchained and unrestricted. "A dream…" She sighed, her body already coated in sweat.

The Emerald Knight opened his eyes and looked over at her, "Are you alright?"

She looked over at him, "Yes, perfectly fine." She said, requipping into her armor, "I shouldn't have tried to sleep, let alone without my armor." She took a sigh of relief as she looked at everyone who was left on the beach, "I'm just not capable of that."

* * *

The Emerald Knight gave a timid knock on Erza's door, back in his suit of armor. He then let himself in, "Erza?" He asked, "Natsu and Gray are talking about a casino of sorts, downstairs, did you want to come along for that?"

"I can't say I've ever enjoyed gambling." She said, sitting on the edge of her bed and cleaning one of her swords.

"Don't you want to unwind with the rest of us?" He smiled, "Trust me, it's never a good thing to be too strict on yourself."

She smiled and put her sword away, then looked up at him, "I guess you don't leave me with much of a choice." She stood up, "And next you're going to tell me I have to put something else on."

"That's for you to decide. I myself am going to stay glued to my armor from here on out."

She really didn't bother listening, she had already requipped into a right red dress with white flowers towards the bottom. It was backless, besides the thin black straps that laced up the back, and over her shoulders as well. She wore matching opera gloves, and her hair was tied up in a classy bun, "How is this?"

"…quite exquisite, if you want a knight's point of view…"

As they started walking downstairs, she smiled, "So how's Cana?"

His cheeks went red, "She's…fine…"

Erza chuckled, "I never expected that. You two are like complete opposites."

"I don't know how you figured it out, but don't mention it to anyone else, especially Happy."

She smirked, "Aye."

* * *

Natsu and Happy eagerly watched the spinner down at the casino, hoping desperately that it would land on his number. It seemed to land on their number, which made Natsu grin, but then the number went one over, and Natsu growled, "No fair! This game cheated! It was gonna give me my number and then it didn't!" He pounded on the machine.

"Sir, please don't hit the machine…" An attendant said.

"But it was gonna give me seventeen, but then it went to eighteen!" Natsu said.

"Not fair, not fair!" Happy said.

"Well…ain't that dandy?" A smooth casual voice said from across from them. His body was oddly, block-like, and he wore a navy blue suit, a white scarf, a little brown hat, and shades.

"A blockhead?" Natsu asked.

"He's completely made of squares and rectangles!" Happy said.

"Let me give ya one bit of advice, boy." The block-man said, "You can either live a dandy life…or you can roll over and die." He grabbed Natsu by the scarf and aimed a gun at his face, "Got it?"

"Hey, what are you doing?" Happy frowned.

Beads of sweat ran down Natsu's face as the barrel of the gun was jammed into his mouth. Whatever he said was hard to make out.

* * *

Gray could hear Natsu hollering about losing at the giant spinner from the table he was sitting at. He shook his head, Natsu was always the poor sport in these sorts of things.

"Gray…?" A soft and slightly familiar voice said.

"Aw shit…it's you!" Gray got up and got into a fighting stance.

"Wait, now, please don't be hasty." She stepped back, "Phantom Lord has disbanded, remember? I have no reason to hurt you…" Juvia said, wearing a skintight black silk dress with a dark blue Fairy Tail necklace.

"Oh, yeah, I kinda forgot about that, now that you mention it." He sat back down, "But why are you here?"

"Because you're here." She said simply, as if that was the only answer that was needed.

He smiled at the necklace she was wearing, "That's a nice necklace you got there."

She giggled, "Thank you Gray, I thought I would endorse my new dream guild." She beamed.

"You wanna join Fairy Tail?" He asked, "I'm not too sure about that."

"I know, it's really asking for a lot, especially after all that's happened, but…" She smiled, her eyes glittering, "A girl can always dream, right?"

"I mean, _I_ wouldn't mind, but I'm not sure what gramps will think…"

"We'll have to see…" She said, her eyes warm but nervous, "I don't know what my plans are if I can't get accepted into Fairy Tail…I have nowhere else to go…I'd have to look for another guild nearby…"

"Gray Fullbuster?" A man with an incredibly deep voice asked. Behind the pair was a large man with an eye-patch, a thin scar underneath it, a heavy metal jaw over the bottom of his mouth, with cloth around his dark hair. His largely exposed torso was only covered by a sash and a green sleeve, as well as dark pants and boots.

Gray frowned at the foreboding man in front of him, "Can I help you with something?"

"Where is Erza?"

"What's that?"

"Tell me where Erza is now."

Juvia's body turned into water as she stood in front of Gray, "You will not lay a finger on Gray. You'll have to pass through me first."

"Juvia…" Gray started.

The large man looked as if he were about ready to attack, but then he paused, putting two fingers to his head, he was using telepathy, "You've already found her?" He asked, "Very well, so I'll just be on cleanup then…" He glared down at Gray and Juvia. He held his hands out, "Prepare for something unlike anything you've ever seen before. Dark Moment…"

* * *

The Emerald Knight watched, amazed as Erza won another card game, as all the money was shuffled her way. After losing to Cana so many times he knew better than to play himself, but Erza was on a roll tonight, "You're doing quite well. I suppose it's a good thing I talked you into coming down here."

"I guess I ran into my lucky streak." She said as she gathered all the tokens, "Either that or my poker face is impeccable."

"Dealer change." A small scratchy voice said as another man came out to deal cards.

"Dealer change or not, my luck won't change." Erza said, drunk on her luck at this point.

"Then why don't we play a special game?" The new dealer asked, shuffling out cards that spelt 'DEATH'. This new dealer had blonde hair, tan skin, green eyes, a five tattoo on his chin, a big decorative earing, and long red waistcoat, "Sister…" He smiled.

"Shô…" Her eyes widened as she swallowed hard, her pupils were the size of pinpoints as a cold sweat covered her.

"Long time no see…sister…" Shô snickered.

The Emerald Knight dubiously looked back and forth from Erza to Shô, "Who is this man?"

Erza ignored the Emerald Knight, whether she meant to or not was hard to tell. "So…you're…alive…" She said, each word spoken like teeth were being yanked out.

The lights went out, everyone in the casino screamed as they were blinded by the darkness. When the lights came back on, no one was there. It was just Erza, Shô, and the Emerald Knight, "How do you like that?" Shô snickered.

The Emerald Knight looked as cards rained down from the sky, he swallowed hard, "There are people in those cards!" He shouted.

"Do you like my magic, sister?" Shô asked.

"Shô…" She swallowed hard, pushing her shock aside as she looked at the cards, "How? And why? Bring them back!"

A dark vine lashed out and wrapped around the Emerald Knight, pulling him back towards the counter.

"Ant!" Erza gasped as she flew back.

The Emerald Knight's eyes darted around, "What in damnation is this?"

"That's better." A monotone and deeper female voice said as he was held back, "I like watching them struggle before they're devoured." The voice hissed in the Emerald Knight's ear as he looked over at the girl who was holding him back. Her deep purple eyes narrowed at him hungrily, framed by dark bangs. Her perfectly white (and…sharp…) looking teeth contrasted drastically with her black lipstick, the same hue as her long nails. She was wearing a black corset with purple lace, a very short dark purple skirt, and black platform boots that zipped all the way up to her thighs. Her black hair was tied up in two pigtails with purple ribbons, matching her eyes.

The Emerald Knight's eyes iced over, he shivered.

"Elspeth…" Erza gasped, "You…learned how to use magic?"

"Oh, look at that." Elspeth looked at the palm of her hand where she launched out the vines, "I didn't notice." She said dryly.

"Let him go." Erza demanded, "He's a friend of mine."

"Friend, hmm?" She asked.

"Weren't _we_ your friends…sister?" Shô asked.

The Emerald Knight looked horrified. If these two freaks were Erza's friends, then she had a lot of explaining to do.

"Yes…well…" Erza looked away in guilt.

"That is, until you betrayed us!" Shô screeched.

"Now go easy on her Shô." A bunch of polygons formed into one corner of the room as the block-man who dealt with Natsu appeared, "The only way to be dandy is to keep your emotions in check, got it?" He then smiled at Erza, "Well, you've really grown up, haven't ya?"

"Wally?" Erza stepped back, "You too…?"

"I'm not surprised that ya didn't recognize me right away." Wally snickered, "Compared to how I was back then, as 'Mad Dog Wally' I'm a lot more _well-rounded_."

"You learned magic too? All of you did…"

"Why are you so surprised?" A booming voice asked, as the big man who dealt with Gray teleported in front of them all, "Anyone can do magic once you get the hang of it. Isn't that right, Erza?"

"Simon?" Erza gasped.

Elspeth hopped off the table, snapping the vines that were wrapped around the Emerald Knight with her teeth. She stood among the others that surrounded Erza. The Emerald Knight looked at the four of them surrounding Erza, little did he know that he was watching Erza's past unfold in front of his eyes.

"So… _this_ is one of the friends that you dared replace us with, hmm?" Shô asked, leaning into the Emerald Knight's face, it was clear the man had no sense of personal space whatsoever.

"We were once close friends with Erza, long ago." Simon said.

"Well, this is really mature of you all." The Emerald Knight narrowed his eyes, "I couldn't begin to wonder why she never mentioned any of you to me."

"How dare you!" Shô snapped.

"Erza." The Emerald Knight looked at her, "What is this all about? I would like to hear an unbiased opinion."

"These…were the people…I knew…before I came to Fairy Tail…" Erza said, extremely pained. She almost looked like she was in more pain than when she took the full hit from Jupiter, "But why are you here?" She asked, her eyes wide with a variety of emotions, "And why does he have to be involved?" She looked at the Emerald Knight.

"We're here to take you home, got it?" Wally smiled.

"Yes, we're going home, sister." Shô said.

"And if you don't like what we say…" Wally aimed a gun at the Emerald Knight's face, "Then I'll see ya on the other side."

The Emerald Knight closed his eyes, then he opened them, "These binds restrict magic I see, very well." He stared down the barrel of Wally's gun.

"No, please!" Erza gasped, "Wally, I'm begging you!"

Wally's other arm materialized behind Erza, shooting her in the back with another gun.

The Emerald Knight gasped, "Erza! What…what did you do?"

"It's just a sleep bullet, got it?" Wally asked, as Erza's unconscious body fell.

Simon caught her body, "Mission accomplished. Now we retreat!"

"You won't get away with this!" The Emerald Knight roared, "It will never work!"

Elspeth walked over to the Emerald Knight, squatting down to his level. He had full view of her black lacy panties as she sneered over him, "You like my magic restricting rose vines?" She asked, he hardly had the chance to look earlier, but upon looking down, he saw the vines wrapped around him were indeed black thorny vines with purple roses here and there, "A shame you have that armor protecting you from those thorns. But I'm no amateur, I have other means to make you squirm." She said, putting a hand on his chest plate. Dozens of spiders appeared and started crawling all over him.

She got up and started to leave with the others. Wally materialized Happy in his arms, "Oh, look what else I found." He looked at Elspeth, "You should probably tie Erza up, in case she wakes up and tries anything funny."

She nodded and held a hand out, vines bound around Erza as she cut it with her nails. Blood seeped out of the spots where thorns dug into her flesh.

"Sister…" Shô sniffed tears of joy, "You're finally coming back to us! Back to the Tower of Heaven! Jellal will be so pleased!"

* * *

The Emerald Knight thrashed about. This wasn't good. He couldn't reach his lance and undo the rose whips in the slightest, and the more time he wasted here, the further Erza got away from him.

His heart burned for revenge, he was going to show all those weirdos that it was a big mistake tying him up and discarding him aside so that they could reunite with Erza. He just needed to find some way to get out of this.

He suddenly felt a little pinprick of pressure behind him, he turned to see one of the people inside the cards. "Sorry!" The man said, "I was trying to use my pocket knife to get out of this darn card…did I get you?"

He leaned back so the rose binds were facing the man, "Do that again."

"Do what?"

"Cut my ropes. I don't know, but it seems your knife can penetrate into the outside world, if you keep cutting my ropes, you'll free me." The Emerald Knight said, after a few moments of cutting, he was free, "Yes!" He laughed, "It worked!"

"Now will you free us?" The man in the card asked.

He nodded, "Yes, I'll do whatever I can, I swear." If he knew anything about card magic from Cana, he had a pretty decent guess that beating the daylights out of that blonde man, Shô, would save them. Which killed two birds with one stone because he wanted to cut that man to pieces anyway.

"Oh! Thank you so much sir!" The man, as well as anyone else trapped in cards cheered. The Emerald Knight nodded back and ran off. He stopped, feeling a pricking sensation trapped within his armor, he reached in a pulled out a spider, tossing it aside.

"Where are Natsu and Gray?" The Emerald Knight ran around, then he froze when he saw Gray's pale body, "No…it…it can't be…" He ran over to Gray and shock his body, nearly having a heart-attack once Gray's body dissolved into ice, "No…wait…an ice decoy…"

"Yup…learned a thing or two from Lyon." Gray said, "But don't ever tell him that I said that…" The Emerald Knight looked at Gray's real body, then he gasped when he saw Juvia's aquatic body appear overtop it.

The Emerald Knight drew his lance and shield, "Ah, so the Element Four have something to do with this as well. Good, I'm itching for a fair fight against you!"

"Gray was just enjoying being inside of me, that's all." Juvia said, "We're no longer enemies!"

"Uh…no…Juvia…that sounds weird…" Gray said, "It suddenly became pitch-black, so I made an ice decoy of myself."

"And I protected him in my water lock." Juvia added.

"But where are Natsu and Erza?" Gray asked.

"I haven't seen Natsu…but Erza…" The Emerald Knight looked down, "We were ambushed, and she was kidnapped…she's in a lot of trouble…we don't have time to lose."

A big fire erupted in the other area of the casino, destroying it, "Damn it!" Natsu howled, "I can't believe that bastard shot me in the mouth! It actually kind of hurts!"

"I'm surprised you're not dead…" The Emerald Knight muttered, as the three of them walked over to Natsu.

"That freaking block-head…" Natsu growled, "You get back here! I'm not finished with you yet!"

"After him!" Gray shouted.

"Does he even know where he's going?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Yeah, he can sniff them out, come on!" Gray said.

The Emerald Knight and Juvia nodded, following Gray, who was following Natsu.

* * *

Deep out in the sea was a large rickety tower that did what it could to reach the heavens. Inside on the very top floor was an immaculate room with royal blue floors and ancient rocky pillars. An attendant walked up to the throne. He wore all white, with red gloves and long dark hair, "Master Jellal…" He said in a quiet voice, "We've received word that Erza's capture was a success. She's headed this way as we speak."

The man in the throne, Jellal chuckled. He bore a nearly identical appearance to Siegrain, aside from the ominous dark robe over him.

"But, what good is that traitor to you now?" The attendant asked, "With someone as powerful as you, it should be easy work to finally kill her, once and for all."

Jellal gave another deep chuckle, which turned in a slow laugh, "That would never do at all…" He laughed, "That would simply be no fun!"

"…sir?"

"But…now that the Tower of Heaven is complete…she'll only cause problems if she lives any longer…" He held his arms out, "The time has come! You will be a sacrifice on upon my altar of ambition! Erza Scarlet!"

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you're looking forward to the aftermath of this arc, cause I am! Erza will finally stop acting like sandpaper and will be more of a teddy-bear. Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it! Let me know what you think with a review!


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N:** Here's chapter thirty four! Erza opens up a little bit more! Yay! Hope you like it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Erza woke up in the rickety storage hold of a boat. She could feel the weak waves swaying the boat occasionally as they were headed towards their destination. Her eyes narrowed as they darted around, before looking down at herself. Her body was littered with small wounds from the thorns, her hands being tied back painfully my more magic resisting thorns. "Damn these…" She growled as she pushed against them. Her patience did not seem to last as she screamed, "Where the hell am I!? Get me out of here right this instant!"

"We're in a boat, sister." Shô said as he entered the storage hold, "Care to guess where we're headed?"

She let out a low growl, "And what sort of business needs to be taken care of there that's so damn important?"

"Jellal has been dying to see you, right now, he resides at the top of the Tower of Heaven."

"Jellal…" She whispered, then she shook, "Please, just let me go. I won't hurt any of you, I have no reason to." She fibbed, to an extent. She was furious with them, but she would never actually hurt them.

"Not possible, I'm afraid." Shô said, "You see sister…you're a traitor…don't even bother trying to escape, you know Elspeth's rose vines block all forms of magic and escape, don't you? Not even you will find a way out."

She looked away, her eyes shameful, "At least let me requip into my armor…I need to…I'll…I-I'll have some sort of panic attack…"

"But you look so lovely in that dress." Shô got down to her level and hugged her.

Her eyes widened as he hugged her, her body only stiffened.

"I never wanted this to happen…" He sniffed, "I missed you so much, I really did! Why…sister? Why did you do this to us…?" He growled as he started crying, "Why did you betray Jellal?"

"Jellal…" She sighed and slowly closed her eyes as her mind fogged with memories.

* * *

"Sister, over here! Hurry!" The young Shô called, as they all tried to escape the slave handlers.

"Keep your voice down, Shô!" The young Wally snapped.

"You too, Wally." Little Elspeth whispered, with her dark pigtails and tattered dress, "We all need to be quieter."

"Heh, heh, you're right…Elspeth…" Wally blushed and looked away.

"Erza, if we don't hurry, they'll find us." The young Simon whispered.

She gave a timid nod, then skittered forward, her chained feet ringing against the stones. She started shaking, tears flooding down her cheeks as she hugged herself, "If…they find out where we are…there's no telling which punishment they'll use…I've…seen them all…"

"It's all right. Don't be afraid." The young Jellal said, his iconic blue hair and red tattoo nearly made him look ageless compared to who he was today. The only difference was the distinct brightness in his eyes, and the smile of justice he wore. His determination was remarkable. "We're going to achieve our freedom, our hopes and dreams! We can do it, Erza!"

Her tears were pushed aside as she grinned at him and nodded, "...uh huh…thanks Jellal!"

* * *

"That's impossible!" Org slammed his fist on the table, "You're saying that the R-System still exists?"

"Eight years ago, a religious sect that worshipped black magic gathered vast amounts of money. Their plan was to build the R-System." Michello said.

"You're talking about those seven towers, right? We took them all down. Even their ruins should be history!"

"There were eight, actually." Belno, the older woman with fading pink hair spoke, "One near the Ka Elm Sea still remains, if I'm not mistaken."

"That's impossible…it can't be functional, can it?" Org asked.

"I don't see what use they would get out of lying to us." Belno said dryly.

"So it _has_ been built…" Ultear mused, seeming unbothered by it entirely.

"Why would anyone be working on the R-System?" Michello asked.

"The Tower of Heaven." Siegrain said, "That's its current name, if I'm to recall."

"It makes little difference on what it's called." Org said dismissively, "It's forbidden magic! Using it will cause widespread panic! I want magic divisions sent there immediately!"

"But…are we even sure to who we're up against?" Yajima asked quietly.

"It isn't the religious cult anymore." Siegrain said, "Those days have long since faded. It's under the control of a man named Jellal."

"But…but that's your twin brother, Siegrain!" Org sputtered, with Yajima narrowing his eyes closely and suspiciously at Siegrain.

* * *

"Where the hell are those losers?" Gray asked, as he, Juvia, the Emerald Knight, and Natsu were on a little boat in the sea.

"I think we took a wrong turn…" Juvia mused.

The Emerald Knight gently poked Natsu's shoulder with an apologetic smile, "Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Urp…" Natsu said.

"…I think we may have to reconsider the direction we've chosen…"

"Jeez, damn it Natsu! We're depending on your nose of yours!" Gray snapped.

"Well, if it's any consolation, Gray, at least he's been keeping his vomit _outside_ the boat, rather than inside…" Juvia said quietly.

"Crap…I can't believe they captured Erza and Happy and there's nothing we can do about it! I feel so pathetic…"

"I can't say I know her well, but it was quite surprising that a wizard as powerful as Erza was defeated so easily…" Juvia said.

"No…that's impossible…those other guys had to have cheated or something…beating Erza is no simple feat…" Gray sighed.

"It's a bit more complicated than that." The Emerald Knight said, "These aren't just a group of ruffians…although they act like ruffians anyway, they're actually Erza's friends. From her distant past. Supposedly they knew her before we or anyone else in Fairy Tail did."

"You guys see that?" Gray pointed.

The Emerald Knight's eyes shrunk, "Natsu was guiding us the right way all along…this must be the Tower of Heaven!"

* * *

Erza looked up in awe as her four former friends directed her to the entrance of the Tower of Heaven.

Erza swallowed hard as she looked up, "S-So…it's…completed-d?"

"Why of course, we've had years and years to complete it." Shô said.

"What was it…eight years…?" She asked softly, "You've…changed entirely…."

Erza was taken to the depths of the tower imprisoned in a cell, "The ceremony starts tomorrow at noon." Shô said, it was just him and her now, "You'll wait here until then."

"You…don't mean…." She gasped as her hands were tied up over her head.

"What do you expect?" Shô's head tilted to the side a little, "You're the one who betrayed us…sister…Jellal was not pleased." He leaned in a bit, "It means you'll be the sacrifice for the Tower of Heaven. Which means I'll never be able to see you again. But it's all for the sake of heaven!" His eyes glowed with delight at the sight of her shivering, "It's making you scared. Are you still afraid of this place? Or…rather, have the memories finally caught up to you?"

* * *

"You thought you kids could get away so easily!" The cultist roared as he was finished whipping the children, "Little brats! You try to run off at a time like this? When we need to get the R-System up and running as fast as possible!"

"Hold on." Another cultist said, "We need to finish the R-System soon, we cannot afford a delay. Normally we would punish all of you…"

"But this time we'll punish only one of you." The first cultist said, "So which one of you idiots came up with the bright idea, huh? We'll only punish whoever came up with the escape plan, see how nice we can be?" He chuckled.

Shô shuffled with nervousness, he started crying.

"Who was is?" The cultist barked.

"It was me!" Jellal shouted.

A pause.

"I came up with the plan and led the others out."

"Oh?" The cultist asked, then he loomed over Erza, "It was you, right?"

"What? No!" Jellal protested.

"Take her away." The two cultists grabbed Erza.

"No! I just told you it was my idea!"

Erza bit her lip, staring at the ground as they dragged her, "I'll be fine…they…wouldn't kill a worker, that would add more delay, right?" She looked up, her eyes stained with tears as she tried to smile the best she could, "You said it yourself, Jellal, there's nothing to be afraid of!"

"Erza!" Jellal reached out for her hand.

"Shut up!" One of the cultists whipped him away. He reeled back in pain as a small amount of blood splattered on the ground.

"Save her, Jellal…please…" Elspeth sniffed as tears streamed down her cheeks, "Go save Erza!"

One of the cultist glared back at the children, "You know what, we change our minds, you little brats, no food for three days!"

* * *

"You're thinking about it too, aren't you sister?" Shô asked, "That was my plan all along…but I was so scared, so I kept quiet…" He said, "I guess I'm a pretty rotten person for that, huh?"

She sighed, giving him a sour look, "It hardly matters at this point. Do you realize, no, do _any_ of you realize just how dangerous it is to bring people back to life using the R-System?"

"You really know what it is? I didn't expect you to know about the R-System…"

"The Revive System, of course I know about it." She muttered, "It's dark magic where you sacrifice one person to bring another person back to life. It's forbidden magic, it breaks all laws of humanity."

"Human limitations don't affect magic." Shô scoffed, "Magic is built to work around those."

"That's exactly what dark mages say. You're no different than them if you stoop that low."

Shô frowned, "You're really going to compare us to those idiots? They knew nothing about the true potential of this tower. Jellal is going to change all of that. He's going to lead us to heaven!" He soon smiled again.

"Heaven, hmm?" Erza asked, unamused.

"The moment Jellal brings him back…" Shô leaned in so there was practically no space between their faces, "The world will be born again…and we'll be able to control that new world!" He cackled, "The remnants of the group that took away our freedom! Those foolish new friends of yours who you haven't betrayed yet! Those mindless minions who roam around the world without a thought in their heads! That idiotic Magic Council! We'll bring terror and sorrow to them all! And then we'll take away their freedom! We'll control the entire world!"

After letting out a scream of pure anger from her chest, she reared her leg up and kneed him in the jaw with enough force to shut his gaping mouth, knock him back on the floor and make him spit up blood. She pulled herself up from her vines and bit into them, much like she saw Elspeth doing, seeing how they tore easily. Once her wrists were free, she landed on the floor and started to materialize into her armor. _What the hell could you have done to make a person change that much?_ She remembered Shô's sweet smile, his friendly demeanor, even in the worst situations. As her armor coated her body she growled, "Jellal…this is all your fault!"

* * *

Happy's eyes opened slowly, at first he thought he was dead. Seeing a spider crawl across the bed he was on, he jumped off the bed and looked around.

The first thing he saw was his own reflection. A mirror. Framed in ornate and gothic ebony pane, he looked at the rest of the room from his reflection.

The dark rug was accented with a few more red or purple rugs, the black walls were scattered with posters of wizards from Sorcerer Weekly, both the models and most powerful wizards. More mirrors were scattered about the black walls, distorting his image, making the room look bigger.

Across from the bed was a fireplace burning, nearby that was an antique vanity, dark make-up on the desk. But the thing that bothered Happy the most was not the gothic appeal, the lace, nor antique look to the room, no.

It was the spiders.

 _Live_ spiders.

Everywhere.

Webs of spiders clouded the ceiling and corners, vanity, mirrors, even the fireplace. The bed was crawling with them, the posters were covert breeding grounds. Happy felt like they were crawling up his fur.

"Spiders…spiders…everywhere!" Happy shivered, tearing up, "Where am I…where's Natsu…what the heck is this place?" He sniffed.

Elspeth strolled in eventually, her platform boots would normally crush spiders, but the arachnids seemed to know to jump out of the way. She walked forward and squatted down in front of Happy, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Happy. Just staring, without a sound otherwise.

"Who…w-w-who are you…?" Happy shivered.

"Why can you talk?" She asked, her low voice making his bones shake with fear.

"Elspeth, can't you see that you're scaring the poor dandy?" Wally asked as he walked in next.

"Ah! Who are you?" Happy gulped, "And where am I? What happened to Natsu?"

"That kid's probably six feet under by now…"

"I don't believe you!" Happy said, "Natsu wouldn't be taken out by losers like you!"

"Careful there, cool cat…" Wally growled.

"Wally, Elspeth…" Simon walked in the room next, "Erza escaped!"

Happy's eyes widened at hearing that.

"Escaped? Dammit…" She sighed, petting Happy's head. Her long nails actually felt quite nice, "You're lucky I like cats, or I'd have you join my rugs…" She looked down at Happy as she stood tall.

"Simon, there's no way she would actually get anywhere." Wally said, "What's she gonna do, swim somewhere?"

"That's not what I'm worried about." Simon said, "I think she's going to try and take out Jellal."

"Well we better hurry!" Wally said as the three of them ran off, "Jeez, that broad's more trouble than she's worth!"

Happy shivered and curled up into a ball, "I want to go home…Natsu…please help me…"

* * *

Jellal laughed and laughed, he must have heard the news that Erza was after him.

"Master Jellal?" His attendant asked.

"As brilliant as she is beautiful, that Erza." Jellal chuckled, "Never a dull moment with her." He held his hands out, "Will I win? Or will Erza? Let us enjoy this game of life and death. Or past and future! The game of Heaven!"

"But…aren't you worried about what actions the council will take?"

"No. Not in the slightest…"

* * *

"The R-System ignores the laws of life and death! It is forbidden magic and it must be destroyed!" Org said, "We must send the military to destroy this enemy at once!"

"You fools!" Siegrain snapped, causing a silence in the room, "We cannot expect to win by sending the military after them! It's much too dangerous! You people have no idea how dangerous this weapon is! There is only one way to deal with the Tower of Heaven now…with the Satellite Square, Etherion!"

"What?" Org sputtered.

"Cross-dimensional magic?" Michello asked.

Belno scowled, "You young fool. Not only is Etherion a weapon of last resort, it's more dangerous than the R-System. The entire country can be taken out with that blast, have you seen the calculations of lives and property? Don't go announcing hasty ideas like that without running through some sort of checklist in your head."

"But there is no other weapon that can take out a structure as big as the tower in one blast." Siegrain said.

"I agree." Ultear said, her eyes closed, "He makes a very valid point."

"Not you too, Ultear!" Org said.

"And who said it needs to be one blast?" Belno countered, "That's practically asking for mass destruction."

"Anything else will take far too much time and resources. It's our best choice as of now."

"There are nine of us here in the council." Siegrain smiled, "So if five of us vote in favor, we can use Etherion. We don't have time to waste! We cannot allow that R-System to be used!"

* * *

The small team sent to rescue Erza and Happy stood at the entrance of the Tower of Heaven, looking a little hesitant at all the guards.

"There's too many lookouts…" Gray said.

"Who cares? Let's just burn them." Natsu said.

"I don't think that's very wise." The Emerald Knight said, "A stealthy approach would be quicker."

"I still have no idea why a knight in armor wants to go the stealth route."

"Fair point."

Juvia's head appeared from the water, "I found an underwater tunnel underneath the tower."

"Seriously?" Gray smiled, "Hey, good job!"

Juvia smiled, her heart beating faster after he praised her. She took a moment to calm down before continuing, "We'll need to be underwater for at least ten minutes in order to reach the location. Is that a problem for either of you?" Juvia asked.

"Not a problem." Natsu said.

"Yeah, no problem." Gray said.

The Emerald Knight's eye twitched, "You would both be dead, about five times over!"

"Then place this over your head." Juvia held up a bubble of water, "There's oxygen inside, but the water pressure is high enough to prevent any water from getting in."

"Hey, thanks!" Natsu smiled, "By the way, who are you, again?"

Juvia wilted and crossed her arms, "At least Gray knows my name…"

They crossed the underwater path and made it to the bottommost floor of the tower, they all took their water bubbles off and looked around.

"So this is the bottom of the tower…" Gray said.

"Finding Erza and Happy in this mess is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack…" The Emerald Knight said, then he looked up, the tower seemed to go upward forever, "Make that a very big haystack…"

"Hey, what's going on down there?" A horde of guards came running down.

Natsu snickered, his fists lit up with flames and he started punching everyone in his path.

Gray sighed, "Well, better keep up with him…" He slammed his fist into his open hand, "Ice-Make…Hammer!" A large hammer came out and crushed some more of the guards.

"Swords of Retribution!" The Emerald Knight raised his lance up high, his twelve swords making short work of anyone near and far. He was pleased at the results of his training and that this wide-ranged attack no longer cost him half his magic gauge.

"What the heck is up with this chick?" One of the guards kept slashing Juvia's body with his sword, but nothing was happening, water would just splash around, "I…I can't hit her!"

Juvia gave a dark grin before screaming, "Water Slicer!" and slicing him open promptly.

When all the guards were taken care of, a door opened leading to the next floor.

"What the heck, some kind of door just opened…" Natsu said.

"Why would they do that…it's like they _want_ us to come up…" Gray said.

* * *

"Master Jellal, what are you doing?" The attendant asked, "Why are you letting them in?"

"They just cleared the first stage." Jellal chuckled, "I thought we should award the players who play the game as expected…" Then he laughed, "Now the real fun begins!"

"But sir, we need to begin the ceremony quickly! The council is bound to discover our actions sooner or later…"

"How many times have I told you…Vildaldus…that no scum on the council will ever stop me?"

* * *

"Blockhead!" Natsu roared, "Where are you?"

"Like I said before, I doubt they'll be hiding anywhere near us." The Emerald Knight said, "I predict that this is going to be a long and drawn-out affair…"

"I still think it's weird that they even let us up here to begin with." Gray said.

Juvia's eyes narrowed, "We're being watched."

The Emerald Knight nodded, "That's plausible. This is all one giant trap, and we're playing by their rules, unfortunately."

"There they are! Go get 'em!" More guards ran into the room.

Natsu hit his fists together, "Guess these punks don't learn, do they?"

Erza seemed to fly by out of nowhere, tearing them to shreds with two blades.

"Erza!" Gray's eyes widened.

"Thank goodness." The Emerald Knight took a sigh of relief.

She gasped as she spotted them, "What the hell are you doing here!?"

"What do you mean, 'what are we doing here?'" Natsu frowned, "Those chumps made complete fools outta us and ran away! I'm gonna make that blockhead pay for what he did!"

She gave them a firm look, a glare that only heated up more and more.

Juvia, however, thought the look was directed to her, "I'm…sorry, I'm just trying to help-

"Go home." Erza demanded sharply, "Now. This place isn't for the likes of any of you. If you get swept into this, your lives will be lost, I'm certain. Leave now while you still can."

"They took Happy. I'm not leaving until I break him outta here." Natsu said.

"Happy?" Erza paused, "…if Elspeth got a hold of him…"

"So who is this Elspeth guy?" Natsu snapped.

The Emerald Knight timidly held up his hand, "Not sure if this will help…but Elspeth is a girl…"

"She's too much for words…." Erza grumbled.

"Then I'll beat her too! Let's go!" Natsu ran up to presumably go further up the tower.

"Never!" Erza screamed, holding a blade to all of them, "You're going home! All of you! Now!"

"Well, there's no point in it now, Natsu's probably already halfway up the tower." Gray said, "Let us help you."

"Don't test me, Gray." She growled lowly, "Watch what you say. One wrong word might be your last." She looked away before he could respond, "Elspeth quite likes cats, as long as Happy doesn't irritate her to the extreme, he should be fine. I'll make sure they return safely, but Gray." She turned to him, "I order you to take these three as far away as possible, immediately."

"We can't leave." The Emerald Knight said, "Why would we turn our backs on you now, of all times?"

"Because this only involves me. These people, these problems. You have no place here!"

"I think Natsu running up to go save Happy begs to differ. This is a team effort and you know it!" Gray said.

The Emerald Knight watched Gray and Erza, with her back to them, he stood in front of Gray protectively as a sort of meditative stance. He could feel the heat coming off of her, he didn't want Erza and Gray get into it right in front of him, "You can at least admit that you have a better chance of solving this issue with us behind you rather than alone, by yourself. Don't forget that I heard a lot of the gist of what is going on from Shô. This seems to center on a man named Jellal…this people seem to be former friends of yours, yet they're setting out to treat you so poorly. I…understand what that must be doing to you…so of course I want to help fix the problem, you understand that, don't you?"

"Ant…" She sighed, "I'm different than them. Different than you. I don't need help, I don't need support or help when it comes to this. The only way this will be solved is if _I_ tackle things head on. Anything else will be a distraction. Including both of you."

The Emerald Knight held his arms out, "Did we all leave Gray in his time of need when Deliora was threatened to return and harm possibly hundreds of people? Did you all give up and throw me to Jose at the earliest convenience when Caesar put a hit out on me for Phantom Lord?" He paused, "So why would we all abandon you now, in your hour of greatest need?"

It had been far too long looking at the back of Erza's head. She suddenly turned, her eyes rimmed with tears, yet her face was full of anger, "Because who said I deserved this? Who said I deserve to even live in a guild, to be an S-Class wizard, to be a wizard at all? I don't deserve friends, let alone a happy life! I've betrayed everyone who's been around me, who's to say I won't do it again?" She asked, before turning away, "Just go, before it's too late!"

"Erza, who did you betray?" The Emerald Knight asked, "You've always been a morally upstanding person as far as I know…this doesn't sound like you at all."

She sniffed, wiping a few tears away, "You haven't known me for very long…none of you have…not like them…"

The Emerald Knight and Gray exchanged a glance, "Erza…" The Emerald Knight said, "Just let us in. Let us help you. I won't be able to turn back and leave after everything that happened with Phantom. That showed me to the bottom of my heart that there are people in my life who care. And I'm trying to show you that same moral but you're not letting me in."

She sniffed and shuddered, "But why…?" She whimpered.

"Why…what…?"

"Why do you want to be involved in this…?" She looked at them, "I…can't mean that much…there has to be another reason…"

"I'm sorry Erza, what more do you want me to say?" The Emerald Knight smiled, "You're our friend now. You've been our friend for a moderate amount of time now, and I suspect we'll be friends for years to come. You can't just get rid of us like that."

She was silent for a long while, before she wiped her eye again from the tears it was shedding, "Your notion is sweet…and…I accept…" She said softly, "But you're incorrect…"

He looked confused yet again, "Incorrect…?"

"Whether we win or lose this fight…this battle, this war…I will not be able to return to the guild…I will not be able to stay by your side…I will never be heard from again…"

"What?" Gray went pale.

"What do you mean by that?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"My future has been set on a timer, a thick line drawn across where it's been cut off." She said, "But still…I suppose I should…at least tell you everything I can, with what time I have left."

* * *

 **A/N:** So how was emotional Erza? Let me know what you thought, reviews are so helpful and appreciated! Looking forward to moving forward in the Tower of Heaven! I apologize for taking so long with this, if I had to judge, I'd say October is my worst month for free time, but I'll keep doing what I can. Until next time!


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N:** Here's chapter thirty five! This entire chapter is Erza's past, a huge step to fixing Erza. Hope you like it! Special thanks to Svane Vulfbad for reviewing the Galuna Island and Phantom Lord arc! Thank you so much!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"This tower we're inside…it's called the Tower of Heaven, but…officially called the R-System." Erza said, "It was created more than a decade ago, when a dark magic cult, not to be confused with a dark guild, decided to build magic towers to bring back the dead."

"B-Bring back the dead…?" The Emerald Knight asked, clearly this invention was too good to be true, or else he himself would have used the R-System at least six times by now.

Erza nodded, "And since the Magic Council and civilian law clearly prohibited this act, they had to find other means to get a work force." She said, then she looked up from the floor at all of them, "They abducted people, men, women, children, the elderly. They were stripped of everything they had and pushed into crates, carried to the towers like cargo. That was their work force, abducted innocents who became their slaves." She said before continuing, meeting each pair of eyes with her own, "When I was no more than six, I was captured and put to work as a slave."

Her three viewers were stunned into silence after hearing this fact. They knew Erza had ties to this place but they had no idea it was slavery.

"That…was where I met someone who was very close to me…among others who became my friends…this person stood out….but…" She clenched her fist, then relaxed and looked away, "His name is Jellal."

* * *

The young Jellal looked around, "Erza!" He would call out occasionally, until he finally found her on the ground. She received countless whippings as her punishments for taking the fall for Shô's plan. "Hey, hang in there!" He gently shook her shoulder, trying to get her to wake up.

His eyes widened as he got closer. As her entire body was scuffed and had blood on it, the entire right side of her face was drenched in blood. She was missing her right eye. He shook, with a combination of nerves and anger, "Why…why do they do these awful things? What did she do to deserve this?"

Erza stirred a bit, then whimpered, "…J…J-Jellal…? …are…you here?"

"Erza…" Tears brimmed in his eyes, he gave her a light squeeze, "Everything's going to be okay. I'm saving you."

Her arms loosely wrapped around him, her head spinning with dizziness, "…How…?" She asked softly in his ear.

"We don't have any choices left." He said, "All we can do now is fight!"

Her lips slowly curved into a small smile as she closed her eye and squeezed onto him with everything she had. "…f-fight….yeah…."

Jellal cried out in pain as he was electrocuted by a staff that stabbed into his back, he dropped Erza to the ground.

"You little brat!" A cultist roared, "You think you can get away with your little escape plan? We'll make an example out of you yet!"

Fearful, Erza returned to the prison cell holding all of her friends.

"Erza!" Wally said.

"Sister." Shô said, "Are you okay?"

"Idiot! You call _that_ okay?"

"What happened to Jellal?" Simon asked, "He said he was going to distract the guards and let you escape."

"Leave her be for a while." An older voice rumbled, belonging to Grandpa Rob. The veteran Fairy Tail wizard was a haggard exhausted shell of his former self, "Poor girl…I think she's been through enough for one day…"

"Jellal…" Simon said, "He must have sacrificed himself to save her…"

A few minutes after someone fashioned an eye-patch for Erza's right eye, Shô started bawling his eyes out, "I can't take it anymore…I just can't take it anymore!"

Once his loud, high-pitched crying started to echo throughout the tower, dozens of guards ran to the cell door, they swung the door wide open and walked in with their weapons out, "What's going on?" One of them asked.

"Shut that brat up!" Another cultist said, "Or else we'll rip his tongue out for you!"

"Shô, be quiet!" Wally put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright Shô! Grandpa Rob is here for you." Rob said.

Erza covered her ears, she was on her knees, holding her head like it would explode. And it sure felt like it. Over the pounding of her own heartbeat, she only heard screams, none from her friends or the enemies, none were determinable, they were just screams that drove her up the wall. Her head cried out for relief, a splitting migraine like she had never felt made her body feel like it wasn't even her own. Finally, she too, had had enough. She stood up amongst the cries, running over and grabbing one of the weapons that one of the cultists had. With a frenzied cry she started slashing into the cultists, blood spraying across the floors.

Some of the cultists screamed and backed away in fear at her tenacity, "Slave revolt!" One of them cried.

"Run from them or obey, there's no difference, they're both the wrong choice." Erza turned to the other slaves, "We have to fight, that's the only answer there is! We have to stand up and fight for our freedom!"

* * *

Erza's eyes closed as she faced away from her three comrades who had followed her into the tower, "So…that's what we did. We stood up and we fought for Jellal. Because he was the only thing I had back then, my closest ally…he had a sense of justice, optimism…we'd think the same thoughts and imagine the same plans…he was a leader to everyone, we all looked up to him. I…." She trailed off as her voice died, then she cleared her throat, "The Tower…it…could turn those with good souls to those with dark ones…Jellal turned into someone else…he turned into our worst nightmare…..with a heart darker than death…"

* * *

"It's a slave revolt!" One of the cultists cried over the sounds of the ensuing battle, "Stop it at all costs!"

"You're forgetting that I'm mad dog Wally!" Wally said as he took another cultist out.

"We can take anything you can throw at us, we're used to your punishments!" Simon said as he punched one in the face.

"Don't even dream about beating us!" A cultist snapped.

"Kill the rebellious ones, put an end to their revolt!" Another cultist growled.

"Don't give up! We far outnumber them!" A slave said.

"Take their weapons." Another slave snarled.

"This is the way to freedom!" A third slave cried.

* * *

Jellal was whipped for the umpteenth time in his cell, chained and suspended in the air. The cultist panted after a while, "This is getting boring! He isn't confessing or even making any noise, this brat!"

"The other girl cried and cried." The second cultist snickered.

"Now _that_ was a masterpiece!" The first cultist laughed, then he got right in Jellal's face, "Can't you understand that building the R-System is a sacred duty? The moment it's completed, we all get to go to heaven! The R-System will bring our god back to life! The greatest black wizard of them all will be reborn!"

"Shut up, pig!" Jellal snapped.

"What did that brat say?" The second cultist asked.

"What?" The first cultist roared, "Is that any way to talk to your priest?" He snarled as he whipped Jellal a few more times.

"Alright, you've paid that brat plenty for his mouthing off." The second cultist said, "Let's go. They've scheduled us for riot suppression duty this afternoon. I hear there's a slave revolt of sorts, we need to get down there."

The first cultist pointed at Jellal, "You will bow down and worship our god…if you ever wanna be outside these walls ever again!" He said as they both left.

Jellal spit some blood to the side, just about every crack on his body ached with pain, "God…" He seethed, "There is no god. Even if there was, a god who abides all this slavery and evil in the world doesn't deserve to exist!" He panted, "I hate them. I hate them all! I hate their god! I hate everything in this world!"

"Hate?" A deep, spiritual voice asked as a shadowy figure began to loom in front of him, "Human hate makes me grow stronger…"

Jellal perked up and looked around, wondering where the voice came from.

"What amusing creatures they are…trying too hard to revive me…and yet…I'm here all along…"

"Who's t-there?" Jellal asked.

"They can have all the 'faith' they want, but it's your hate that truly gives me presence!"

"Where are you? Come out where I can see you!"

"But you…are one lucky child…you get to meet the god they so revere…" A phantasmal black and purple being floated over Jellal, "I am Zeref! Hate is my existence!"

* * *

Erza slashed another cultist to the floor, then looked up at a group of scared slaves, "We have to free everyone up to Sector Eight today, move forward!" She cried out.

"But there's so many of them!" Simon said.

"We have to!" Erza demanded, "It's the only way to save Jellal!"

"Guess there's no hope for you, man." Wally pat Simon's shoulder.

"Erza!" Simon ran up to face Erza, "Do you like Jellal?"

Her eyes widened and her face turned bright red. "Eh…uh….." She shook her head, "You think we have time for this nonsense!?"

"Well, I have always-

A strong blast of magic energy smacked into Simon, blowing up and sending him sailing, with blood exploding everywhere.

"It's their magic division!" Wally pointed, seeing a lot of artificial soldiers launching magic projectiles out of their staffs.

Elspeth ran over to Simon's side, her big wide eyes shaking with fear as she looked around. Destruction everywhere, magic bringing slaves to their end, smoke clouded the air, as well as the wails of terror, the rubble and construction materials that were used as weapons, the bodies of those who hadn't survived the revolt. Tears leaked down her cheeks as she looked over to Erza, hoping she would have something to say.

But the only cries that filled the air were from other slaves. Erza felt completely lost as she watched the damage take place, slaves crying, "Retreat! Fall back! We don't stand a chance!"

Erza balled her fists together, "Stop! You can't give up now, we have to fight!" She cried out, but it seemed no one heard. She was the only one standing her ground.

"Run! Ignore the girl, she's just gonna die too!" A slave cried out as he grabbed a friend and running.

Erza bit her lip as she started shaking, "We have to save Jellal!" She cried out as loud as she could.

A cultist was nearby her, firing off a blast of magic energy.

"Erza!" Wally screamed.

"Sister!" Shô yelled.

A thin figure jumped in the way, taking the blast as a fatal amount of blood flew out of him, "Thank goodness…" He choked out blood, "I thought I was too old and broken to help…"

"Grandpa Rob!" Erza cried out as she watched him take the hit, "…no…" She whimpered.

"Grandpa lost his magic long ago, child…" He gave a weak chuckle, "But…you still have such a world of possibilities…"

"Grandpa…" She sniffed.

" _That's right. Everything starts with a heart that has faith." Rob told her long ago, in their cold, dreary cell, "Try to think of magic in the same group as religious faith, healing, and fortune telling. Only those with faith can feel it, and that's why it works so many miracles. Those with faith in the existence of magic, faith in their own power, and faith that they are living alongside nature, only they can use magic!"_

" _Magic? I'd love to use magic! I want to use it in the future, all the time!" She grabbed the broom that they had given to her and jumped onto it, "You think I could fly around on a broomstick?"_

" _I'm sure it's possible." Rob's smile grew._

" _I can't wait to fly across the sky, free as a bird!" She sang, "When I can, I'll give you a ride, okay?"_

To see that same wise old smile be nothing but an emotionless husk about ready to pass on into the next life burned its way into young Erza's soul, forever etched how cruel this life really was, "Sometimes the only thing that kept me going in this wretched place was your smile…" Rob coughed.

Erza whimpered as she ran to his side, "Grandpa…please…"

"Freedom is found within the heart!" Rob said, falling forward, "Erza, I know one day your wish will be granted!" His back faced the sky, as well as the red Fairy Tail emblem that shone to the heavens.

Erza bit her lip and shook as she looked down at the body before her. She clutched onto his lifeless arm, feeling the temperature slowly drop in the palms of her hand. Her head flung back to the sky as she cried out in agony.

"Crap, Simon's in real trouble…and Grandpa Rob is…" Wally swallowed hard, "Erza! We need to fall back!"

Erza caught her breath for a heartbeat. For a moment Wally thought Erza had heard him, and was about to run, but her eye clouded again as she let out another screech. However, the weapons on the ground from the deceased slaves and cultists started to rattle. They slowly floated up in the air, as if they were being held by wounded invisible warriors.

"Those…weapons…are floating…" One of the cultists said quietly, "What the hell is happening!?"

The weapons flew forward and started gashing cultists open, sparing the slaves. Erza's cry blended in with the cries of the falling. Her onslaught didn't stop until all the cultists that surrounded them were dead.

Erza slumped to the ground as the last cultist gave a low groan and collapsed forever. She panted and held a hand over her missing eye, her head ached more and more with each passing second. In a matter of seconds, the opposing wave of enemies were taken out.

"Holy crap…" Wally said, "She took out the entire magic division!"

"Sister, you can use magic?" Shô smiled.

"Magic…" Erza whispered to herself as she looked at her chained fist, the chains broken earlier in the raid. Her vision blurred with each pulse of her heart, so she clenched her teeth to try to focus, _Grandpa…I will attain the freedom we deserved…and I can save him with this magic…_ "Jellal…" She said softly, "I will save you…" She clutched a sword from the ground tightly, "Follow me, to freedom!"

It wasn't long until Erza made it to where they were holding Jellal, the two cultists who held him prisoner earlier looked terrified at the sight of her.

"W-Wait just a moment…I…I can admit that I was wrong…" One of the guards said.

"Y-You see…we were just following orders! Just following orders! We didn't want to! You gotta believe us!" The other guard said.

"You win! You win! All of our fellow sect are gone, we surrender!" The first guard said.

"We can be friends now, right?" The other guard asked.

"You're in my path." She said firmly, slashing through them as she ran into the cell Jellal was in.

She found him tied up to two posts, suspended by the arms from some rope. She grinned once more, it felt like a weight in her chest was lifted as she saw his chest lifting and sinking raggedly, but at least he was alive. "Jellal! It's me!" She exclaimed, cutting the ropes and freeing him. As he hit the ground, she gently hugged him to support him, resting her head under his. She opened her mouth to tell him about Simon and Grandpa Rob, but nothing came out. She swallowed hard and gripped him tighter, "Jellal…it's over…we won…we got our freedom….after fighting, like you told me to…" She found her smile again, then tried to tug him along, "Wally and Elspeth managed to find a cargo ship to escape on, we can go live in a cottage like we wanted to, and be free forever!"

"Erza…" Jellal stirred, hugging her back, to her surprise, he said, "We don't have to run away anymore…"

"…we…we don't…?"

"True freedom is right here!" He snickered darkly.

* * *

Wally, Elspeth, and Shô were exploring the ship they were given, with Simon trying to recover from his injuries, "Hey, look at this!" Wally dug out a silver cartridge about the size of a toaster, "It's a movie lacrima!"

"Movie lacrima?" Elspeth repeated, "That sounds dumb."

"I think it sounds cool. It plays a story right in front of your eyes." Wally put it in the recorder, "I've never seen one until now."

The movie played out an elaborate scene with a gunfight between two slick gangsters in an alleyway, however only one man remained standing, "Too bad for you, Tony-Joe." The survivor said as he took a puff of his cigar, "But your fate was sealed the moment you met me!"

"That guy's so cool!" Wally cheered.

Elspeth's eyebrows furrowed, "That was a waste of my time."

Shô forlornly looked out at the half-finished tower, "Sister sure is taking a while…"

* * *

"Jellal, what are you talking about?" Erza demanded answers as she watched him hobble off by himself unsteadily. She ran forward and took his hand with both of hers in attempt to keep him up.

"Erza…freedom does not exist in this world!" Jellal said, "I figured it out…what we need isn't some fleeting 'freedom'…true freedom is only found in Zeref's world!" A dark grin crept onto his face, "I've come to understand a little about how these people feel. They were trying to revive Zeref…" He glared down at one of the two inured guards Erza slashed down, "You call yourselves believers, you couldn't even feel Zeref's presence like I can! I will take possession of this tower! I will complete the R-System and see Zeref's rebirth!"

Erza's hand slowly slipped from his, "Jellal….what happened to you….." Her eyes watered, "What…did they do to you….?"

Jellal held a hand up, as if by some demonic telekinesis, the guard throbbed in pain as he was lifted in the air. In a sudden motion blood began pouring out of him as if he were cut by a large invisible sword, he weakly collapsed on the ground once Jellal was through with him.

The other guard looked horrified, even more so when Jellal turned to him, "No…no don't…please!"

Jellal slammed him all around the room like a hacky-sack, all without even touching him.

As much as she didn't want to watch, her eye couldn't help but follow the bodies. She finally faced him again, "Jellal, stop! Whatever magic you're using is evil!"

"Stop?" Jellal cocked an eyebrow, looking back at Erza, "Erza, I thought you hated these guys…"

She swallowed hard, "Well…maybe I do, but that doesn't mean-

"That's no good! You'll never receive Zeref's blessing with an attitude like that!" Jellal said, he held a hand out, and the two guards that tortured him for so long eventually blew up into a bloody and gory mess, he then started laughing like a madman.

Erza winced as they blew up, tears leaking down one side of her face, "Jellal, pull yourself together!" She screamed, "I know days of torture can do things like this…but you can't give in like that, Jellal-

"I'm perfectly fine!" Jellal laughed, "Erza, let us rebuild the R-System together! From now on it will be called the Tower of Heaven! And with it, we will revive Zeref!"

"No way, Jellal, I'm not listening to you like this! We're going to get off this island and bring you back to the way you were!"

"Fine!" Jellal blasted her away with a powerful gust of dark magic, "If you want to leave this place so badly, then you can go alone!"

"Alone…?" She whimpered from where she lay on the ground, looking up at Jellal.

"The rest of us will just finish building the tower without you! I'll need lots of labor to finish it." He said, "But you mustn't worry, I'm not anything like those foolish guards. I'll make sure everyone's clothed, fed, even rested. Control by fear and force will make a poor workforce."

"What are you talking about!? Everyone's already on the ship ready to leave, they're never going to come back here!"

"Well that was the mistake of an incompetent leadership who gave them no meaning for their work. I will give it a meaning! We will all work together to bring the great black wizard Zeref back!"

"Jellal…." She sniffed, "Please…come back…" She begged, "Please…."

A dark shadow whipped out of Jellal's hands, strangling Erza, "I believe I said I don't need you anymore! But I'll let you live…I at least owe you that much…you did take care of those fools who got in my way…but you must leave the island. If you wish so much to get a taste of that foolish 'freedom' of yours."

A choking sob escaped her throat, her teary eye leaking, "Jel…lal…"

"You are forbidden to mention this place to anyone. If the council were to find out about this place, all my hard work would go to waste! The moment word got out, I would have to destroy this tower and all your friends with it! You are also forbidden to ever come back to the tower. At the first sight of you, I'll kill your friends, one by one!" He laughed, "I think I should start with Shô, don't you?"

Her arms dropped from holding the hands that were choking, her will all gone, "….Jellal…" She squeaked.

"That will be your 'freedom'! Go, and take the burden of the lives of all of your friends, Erza!" He laughed and laughed.

Erza's eyes opened again as she felt her body scrape against coarse sand. She coughed up mouthfuls of salt water, looking up at the dark sky, the crescent moon slicing through the stars. After jumping off deck when they were in the middle of the sea, she assumed she'd never have to open her eyes again, but here she was, washed up on shore of an island she didn't even know. She slowly rose to her knees and clenched a handful of the damp sand, until she weakly stood to her feet. She knew she had to find people, find food, find shelter. She was fated to die another day. She took two steps, then she fell to her knees again. Simon, Wally, Elspeth, Shô, Grandpa Rob…Jellal. She would never see them again, they were her entire life. She fell to her knees again and looked up at the moon, letting out a splitting cry of distress that filled the sky, sending startled birds airborne.

* * *

The trio who had patiently heard her story shuffled around nervously, obviously getting more than they had bargained for, with Juvia's hands over her mouth, and Gray and the Emerald Knight exchanging a nervous glance every so often.

Erza wiped her tears away, they only fell from one side, "I will….." She took a shaky breath, "…have to fight Jellal…."

* * *

 **A/N:** Poor lil Erza. Now that's she's put so much trust into her friends with such a heavy story, how will the rest of her life unfold? Thanks for reading, hope you liked it!


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N:** Here's chapter thirty-six! More Tower o' Heaven! Yay! Hope you like it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"I understand we have to get rid of the Tower of Heaven so Jellal cannot use the R-System, but such mass destruction will only cause repercussions." Belno argued back inside the Magic Council.

"But the only possible way to attack the tower efficiently is by using the satellite square, Etherion!" Siegrain argued.

"But…" Org mused, trying to counter him.

"The R-System is forbidden magic, so it must be erased from history entirely. So logically the only explanation would be some sort of destruction." Ultear said.  
"Etherion will completely obliterate anything in the immediate area! That includes people!" Org said, "Every living being in the tower will be wiped out!"

"But this is to protect the magical world." Siegrain said, "It's a price we'll have to pay."

"The dead cannot be brought back to life." Michello said, "We constantly teach that to the children of this world. How will we be able to do that with the dead being revived left and right? For that reason, I authorize the use of Etherion."

"Not you too, Michello!" Org said.

"We only need one more vote!" Siegrain said.

* * *

"Only one more vote, hmm?" Jellal mused.

"Did you say something, sir?" Vildaldus asked.

"Oh, pay it no mind…" He said, "Only one more vote until the game is over…"

* * *

"Erza, wait a second…" Gray said, "You mean to tell me that the root cause of all of this is Zeref too?"

"Yes…" Erza said softly, "Which means Deliora…"

Gray went pale, the mere name of the demon gave him a shudder.

"The guild masters in Clover said that Zeref was the strongest evil wizard there ever was…" The Emerald Knight said, "Even Lullaby was from the Book of Zeref, as I'm sure Deliora was."

"They say Zeref easily has enough magic power to create things such as Deliora or Lullaby." Erza said.

"And…Jellal is trying to revive him?" Juvia asked, "But why?"

Erza shook her head silently for a moment, before she continued, "Some say that the one who resurrects Zeref will become the ruler of heaven, or something along the lines."

"In that case your friends were full of rubbish." The Emerald Knight crossed his arms, "When I was bound in Elspeth's vines, they all mentioned something about you betraying them. But if anyone's the betrayed party here, it ought to be you."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Jellal fed them lies while I was away." Erza said, "After all, he needed loyal workers. However, I did abandon them for eight years, so in a way I did betray them…"

"So you hope to stop Jellal in an effort to reverse everything, is that correct?"

Erza nodded, "Yes…if I defeat Jellal…then…it should all be over…"

Gray narrowed his eyes. Before it sounded like Erza was going to sacrifice herself, if anything. Why did he have such a bad feeling about this?

"Sister." A voice growled, as they all turned to see Shô, "That story…what was that load of crap supposed to be?"

"Shô…" Erza's eyes widened as she turned.

"You think you can win sympathy from your friends with all those lies you said? Don't make me laugh. The truth is almost the exact opposite of what you said! Eight years ago you set a bomb on the ship we were trying to escape on and you ran away by yourself! If Jellal hadn't figured out your treason and come to warn us, none of us would have survived that! Jellal told us everything! That his magic was meant for believers and that everyone else would be swept away! And that you had been drunk with magic power and wanted to throw away your past, including us!"

"Dude…are you serious?" Gray asked.

"You must think very little of Erza if you can even believe for a second that she would kill you all at the drop of a hat." The Emerald Knight said.

"What do you guys know?" Shô snapped, "You know nothing about us! We were saved by Jellal's words! That's why we spent eight long years working on the tower! It was all for Jellal!" He seethed with rage, "You're trying to tell me that all of this is a lie? That Erza's right and I'm wrong? Is that what you expect me to believe?"

"Exactly." Simon said as he entered the room.

"Simon?" Shô repeated, baffled.

"It's you…" Gray growled, an icy mist coming off of him.

"Wait a moment, Gray." Juvia held his shoulder, "When he attacked you, he knew you were an ice decoy. Darkness mages aren't blinded by their own darkness. That's a big reason I came here, to confirm that those were his intentions."

"I'd expect no less from one of Phantom's Element Four." Simon noted, "I never intended to kill anyone. I planned to knock you out to fool Shô and the others. But since you had an ice decoy ready, I knew I could make a show out of it."

"Y-You wanted to fool us?" Shô asked, flabbergasted.

"You, Wally, and Elspeth…you've all been tricked by Jellal. I had to wait for my chance, so I pretended to be fooled too."

"Simon…" Erza gave a shaky smile.

"I believed in you from the start, Erza." Simon smiled, "And I continued to believe in you for eight years." He gave her a hug, "I was so happy to see you, Erza…from the bottom of my heart."

"Why…why does everyone trust her so much…" Shô raged, trying not to cry, "Why…why couldn't I trust her…why?" He fell to his knees and broke down, "Damn it!" He sobbed, "What the hell am I supposed to believe now? Who am I supposed to trust?"

Erza broke her hug with Simon to get down on Shô's level, "I know it's hard to take in, but I'd just like to add in one more word." She said, "For each year that I left you here, I never forgot about you. It's my fault I was too weak to do anything to help you."

"But now you _can_ do something." Simon said, "I've been waiting for this moment for so long now…for the strongest group of wizards to finally merge into one entity so we can take down Jellal."

The Emerald Knight's eyes widened. Was Simon talking about him too? Surely he would just weigh the others down, as he is now…

"We're going to fight Jellal." Simon said, "We're going to combine our strengths. And our first step is to stop Natsu and Wally from taking each other out. We'll need his strength to take out Jellal."

* * *

"Happy!" Natsu ran into the next room, a little disturbed with what he say, "What the heck is this room?" He looked around the gothic room, glaring down at a spider, "There's a spider, right there!" He pointed, "And there!" He pointed, "And there! Spiders! Spiders everywhere! Who the heck lets a bunch of spiders in their room?"

Wally stood in the doorway, cocking his gun, thrilled at how distracted Natsu was with the spiders, "Well, ain't that just dandy…"

* * *

"Damn it!" Simon said, two fingers at his forehead, "My messages are being blocked to Wally. Elspeth too!"

"Messages?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"I can't tell where they are!"

"Telepathy magic, I assume?" Juvia asked.

"That's right." Simon nodded.

"You feeling better, Shô?" Erza asked as she looked back.

"Yes…as long as you're here…sister…" Shô said slowly.

"Say…do you think we can really trust that guy?" Gray said quietly as he looked at Juvia, "He trapped a bunch of people in cards, and we all almost died from their attacks on us."

"I don't intend to give you any excuses." Simon said, "But if you all died from attacks that minor, you'd have no chance at fighting Jellal."

"You heard me?"

"Besides, I knew Natsu would survive the attack. You all have yet to realize Natsu's true power."

* * *

"Man…these spiders are creepy…" Natsu shuddered, then he heard the click of a gun, he whirled around and just barely dodged a bullet, literally, "Blockhead!" He snapped, "Nice try!"

"What, how the hell did you hear my gun?" Wally snapped.

"Us dragon slayers have pretty good hearing, like I said, nice try though…"

"You bastard…"

"Now come on." Natsu said as his fists burned with fire, "You better tell me where Happy is or you'll be sorry."

"Wally, what the hell are you doing in here?" A voice called as Elspeth walked in, "I told you not to come in here, you'll kill the spiders!"

"Elspeth, come on, we gotta take out this lousy palooka before he messes up our plans!" Wally said.

Natsu snickered for a while, "Well, you guys just gave me a great idea…"

Elspeth balled her fists, "Both of you need to get out of my room before I strangle you myself!"

"That wasn't really the answer I was looking for." Natsu held his hand up, "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" He threw a big orb of fire at the duo.

They both hopped out of the way, Elspeth looking angrier and angrier, "Pyro, if you light my room on fire, I'm going to throw you out the window."

"Bring in on, vampire lady, cause I ain't leaving until I get Happy back."

"Vampire?" She asked, looking at Wally, before launching dozens of vines at Natsu from her palms.

"Ah, what the hell are these?" Natsu snapped as he was wrapped around by the rosy thorns, "Fire Dragon's…" His fist didn't light up, "Huh? How come I can't use my magic?"

Wally sneered, "Polygon attack!" He broke apart into pieces which smacked into Natsu.

"Ow! Damn it, I can't dodge with these vines wrapped around me…" Natsu growled as he got smacked around.

A sadistic grin appeared on Elspeth's face as they wrapped around his arms tighter, more vines crawling out from her palms to wrap around him.

"Damn it…" Natsu choked, "You're gonna pay for this…vampire lady…"

"I'm not a vampire!" She snapped.

Natsu growled and ripped the vines off of him, breaking any stubborn ones with his canines, his fists flared up and he punched Elspeth in the face, sending her flying.

"Elspeth!" Wally cried, "I'll help ya!"

Happy flew in from out of nowhere, with one of Elspeth's mirrors in his hands, he smashed it over Wally's head. Wally yelled and fell over, "No…no…seven years…of bad luck…" He coughed up blood.

"Happy!" Natsu smiled, "Good to see ya, little buddy!"

Elspeth's dark eyes were wide, she launched vines at Happy and Natsu.

"Lookout!" Natsu said, "Those vines block magic!"

Happy swallowed hard and flew out of the way, while Natsu ripped the grate off of Elspeth's fire place. He crawled inside and started eating the fire.

Wally screamed like a girl seeing Natsu eat the flames.

Natsu smirked, "Now I'm all fired up…"

"Did you just eat my fire…?" Elspeth's eyes were wide.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Natsu lunged at the duo and knocked both of them out at once with his large flaming wings.

* * *

Jellal sighed as he knocked over another couple chess pieces, "Shô and Simon have betrayed me…it seems. While Wally and Elspeth have been defeated by Salamander's attacks. But this is how the game _should_ be played. It would be rather boring if the game was so one-sided."

"Master Jellal." Vildaldus said, "We must capture Erza quickly if we want to start the ceremony! We don't have time for this!"

"If that's how you feel, then why don't you go, Vildaldus?"

"Are you sure?"

"They've had their turn, now it's mine. That's fair enough, don't you think?"

Vildaldus gave a dark snicker as he began to transform into another outfit entirely. Now he resembled a heavy metal musician, his long black hair a bit wilder, black and white makeup all over his face, spiked shoulder pads, various tattoos on his chest, black pants with a skull shaped bucket, and black boots.

Standing beside him were two more warriors. One had the bare-chested body of a man, but the head of a brown owl. His only other clothing seemed to be red sneakers, green shorts, and some wristbands. He also wore a large impressive rocket pack on his back for flight.

The last person in the middle was a woman, with long light pink hair tied in a bow on top of her head. Her pale skin was contrasted with dark green eyes and red lips. She had a black collar on, with a white and red kimono, a thick black and red belt around her waist. In her hands was a red sheathed katana.

"Assassin's Guild Deaths Head Caucus. Special Guerilla Squad…Trinity Raven!" Jellal said, "It's time to add you into the fray."

"Go to hell!" Vildaldus screeched in his new rocker voice, "I'll show them the best side and the worst side of hell!"

The owl man gave a short hoot, acknowledging the statement.

The woman with pink hair smiled, "This evening, we shall celebrate."

* * *

"I'd like to welcome you all…" A voice said through a speaker, "To the Tower of Heaven. I am Jellal, keeper of this tower. I see we have all our game pieces in place. So now is a suitable time to start our game. Let us begin Heaven's Game! The rules are rather simple…"

"This jerk is toying with us…" Gray said.

"Jellal…" Shô seethed with rage.

"I intend to sacrifice Erza in order to revive Zeref." Jellal said, "In other words, if the gates of Heaven open, then I win. But if you manage to stop my plans, than you win. Still, if it were that simple, it wouldn't be fun. So I've added three knights to strengthen my ranks."

"Three knights…?" Simon asked, "What does he mean by that?"

"You will not be able to reach me without getting through them, so this will be a three versus seven battle royal!" Jellal said, "Finally, allow me to explain one special rule. There is a very real chance that the council will attack us with Etherion. That would obliterate the tower and anyone inside it. There's no telling how much time we have left, but the moment Etherion comes raining down, everyone will die. Thus, the game will end without a winner."

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, "So he's willing to kill us all…even kill himself…if that isn't madness then I don't know what is…"

"Etherion…?" Erza asked, "From the Council….?" She asked, her face boiling with rage, "Jellal, look what you've made them resort to!"

Erza was imprisoned in a card, Shô grabbed the card as it started to fall.

"Erza!" Gray said.

"Shô, what are you doing?" Simon frowned.

"Now…let's enjoy our little game!" Jellal said.

"Nobody's gonna lay a finger on sister!" Shô yelled, "I'll take out Jellal myself!"

"Shô!" Erza raged, "You can't do this to me!"

"Wait, you're no match for him on your own!" Simon held a hand out as Shô ran off, "Damn it…I'll go after Shô, the rest of you look for Natsu!"

"Damn it, why does everyone do this?" Gray growled.

"We'll have to split up to effectively cover more ground." The Emerald Knight said.

* * *

"Jellal, you ass." Vildaldus said, "You never told us about Etherion…if that thing comes down, we're all as good as dead!"

"Feeling cowardly, Vildaldus?" The woman with pink hair said.

"No! The opposite! I'm as ready as hell to be in the most dangerous job we've ever taken!" He howled.

* * *

"I don't get any of this…but all we gotta do is take out this Jellal guy and we win, right?" Natsu asked, "Well, that gets me fired up!" He hit his fists together.

"I imagine he's at the very top." Happy said.

"Jellal…?" Wally looked up at the speaker, "We're not finished Salamander!" He growled, "But…why would he want to use Etherion…he could kill us…I thought he wanted us to rule heaven…"

"He knows just what he's doing…" Elspeth's eyes closed briefly, "The Etherion could finally free us…and Jellal can rule over us in hell…"

"I don't know what brand of freedom you're looking for." Natsu said, "But it gets a lot better in the outside world, you'll just have to trust me." He smiled.

"Well…that sounds better than hell…" Wally thought about it.

"Please." Elspeth muttered, "The second we step foot out of this building, we'll only be forced into more torture…"

"Not if I have anything to say about it. Happy!" Natsu looked at Happy, "There's a back door to winning this game, right?"

"Aye!" Happy nodded.

"Then let's head to the top, cut ourselves a big corner to the finish line!" Natsu laughed as Happy flew up with him.

"Aye!"

"Salamander." Wally smiled as he looked out the window, "That's one dandy guy…" He said as he soon passed out.

"What is that?" Natsu squinted off into the distance.

"Whatever it is, it's coming this way." Happy said.

"Hoo-hoo!" The large owl man crashed into Natsu with his jets, smashing him into one of the rooms in the tower.

"Salamander?" Simon watched on in confusion, "Are you alright?"

"Who are you?" Natsu looked at Simon, "And who's that?" He looked at the owl man.

"I will not tolerate the breaking of any rules!" The owl man pointed, "The knight of justice, Fukuro has come, hoo-hoo!"

"A bird…talking about justice…I don't get it…" Natsu said.

"No…it can't be…" Simon said, "Come with me." He called as he started running off.

"Natsu, this guy is friends with the blockhead!" Happy said.

"Right now, I'm on your side." Simon said, "Don't even try to fight with that guy!" Simon held his hands out, "Dark moment!" The lights went out.

"Whoa! It went all dark!" Natsu said.

"Now's our chance!" Simon said.

"Hoo-hoo!" Fukuro ran at Simon, "The justice knight can see in the dark!" He blasted a bright light as Simon that pierced a hole into him. Simon coughed up blood and fell back, the effects of his dark moment wore off once he was hit.

"They're assassins from the Death's Head Caucus!" Simon coughed.

"Assassin's guild?" Happy shivered.

"It's one of the Dark Guilds…they only take assassination requests…inside the guild is the three-man team known as Trinity Raven…legend has it that in the Cabria War…the three of them alone murdered all of the officers of the western army…"

"So…he's one of the three assassins…"

"Hoo-hoo! Justice must be served!" Fukuro said.

"They specialize in killing! You mustn't fight them!" Simon begged from the ground.

"Salamander…your evil name is known far and wide across the guild!" Fukuro said, "Today the justice night will bury you for your crimes!"

"A guild is a gathering place for people's trust and dreams!" Natsu said as he flared up, "It's no place for murderers like you!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry it took so long to update. October is usually my busiest month. Not to say the others will be updated every day! Hope you liked it! Looking forward to more battles next chapter!


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N:** Here's chapter thirty seven! Look who's back in action! It's nice to be back, but also strange at the same time, writing about these Fairy Tail characters, rather than a bunch of characters I made up for something I'm actually trying to publish. Anyway, I'm very sorry for the long break, as I said before, October is the busiest month. I hope you like this chapter! I could hardly resist adding more to Juvia's past, since I love her so much :) Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"Salamander, don't do it!" Simon called out, "Don't try to fight the assassin's guild!"

"So they kill people for a business?" Happy swallowed hard.

"I hate that people would do that sort of thing for a living." Natsu brooded as his hands lit up, "I hate that clients even offer those jobs. And I hate that it can even be called a 'guild'! So I'm taking you out, bird-brain!"

"Hoo-hoo!" Fukuro said, "Salamander, there is evil in the world that should not be allowed to live!" He flew forward on his jet at astonishing speeds, "That includes you! You must die!"

"Natsu!" Happy swallowed hard as Natsu was hit straight on by the owl man.

Natsu grit his teeth, "No one can beat me when it comes to firepower!" He aimed a fiery fist at Fukuro's head, "Just watch!"

Fukuro evaded the attack, lifting Natsu up and flying with him in the air, he then slammed him into the ground, "Ow…damn it…that hurt…"

"Hoo-hoo…you're a pretty tough guy!" Fukuro lectured from the sky, "I haven't had a job as difficult as you in a while!"

"Trinity Raven…" Simon coughed weakly from the ground, "This one's even tougher than I imagine…and to think…there are two more of them running around the tower…?"

* * *

Bored with himself, Jellal knocked over a chess piece, "A pity you are, Simon. To be taken out in the game so easily, not to mention at such an early stage in the game too." He looked at his entire chessboard, "Next is…Fukuro versus…Natsu Dragneel…hmm, I really wanted to face Natsu myself, but he'll never get past one of my three knights. How unfortunate."

* * *

"Natsu!" The Emerald Knight called for the umpteenth time, "Where are you?"

"I have a feeling getting his attention will be more fruitful if we find him ourselves. I can't see him hearing our voices and turning on his heels." Juvia said.

"That's easier said than done…" The Emerald Knight mused, "If I know anything about Natsu, finding him isn't going to be simple, after all, he's had such a large head start…luckily his sense of smell is excellent, as well as his hearing, if he was close by, he would've noticed us by now…" He sighed.

"Exactly. We'll have to stop him with force." She said, then she glanced at him nervously, "He wouldn't hurt me, right?"

He gave a small smile, "The way I see it, he has no reason to. If it weren't for you, we'd still be at the entrance trying to figure out how to get in."

Her pale cheeks turned a tinge of pink, "Well, I simply wanted to help…by no means am I aiming to access full trust of your guild…I understand I was…cruel…"

"Is that right?" He asked, "That Fairy Tail charm around your neck would speak otherwise."

"Well…" She looked down at it, then back up, "It's a dream of mine to join your guild, but I'm not expecting a great deal of respect…or even permission to enter…"

"I see." He said, "Matters like those usually require a great deal of time to pass before an ultimate decision is made."

She nodded and gave a dry sigh, "If only I hadn't joined Phantom Lord…that is one of my most regretful decisions…"

"You speak as if you didn't really have much of a say in the matter…"

"I did…hence why I'm so angry with myself…" She crossed her arms, "I assumed joining the guild my father had lived in would be a good idea…but…I never supposed to think that it was also the guild responsible for his death…I assumed he had abandoned me…but by the time I was a loyal guild member, I was informed that he went on a mission from which he never was able to return. It was too late to retract my choice, I was already a member of the Element Four. If anything, Jose was thankful my powers had increased when I learned this information."

"So your father…died on a mission for that guild…?" He asked slowly, "I…I had no idea…"

"I would never have known if Gajeel hadn't told me. Everyone in the guild knew the connection, since we had the same last name, of course…but once Gajeel caught on, he was the only one who wasn't afraid to tell me that he had died on an assassination request. He also told me just how…" She clenched her fists, "How twisted he truly was." She sighed and her shoulders decompressed, "I'm thankful the guild has disbanded….one less dark guild to hurt the innocent…"

He nodded as he listened to her vent, "Well, you have my trust for the time being, if you're worried about being alone."

"I…do?" She looked at him, "I…can't say I understand why…I…I was the one who was responsible for putting you in so much danger…"

"You've done nothing but help us recently. It would be a different story if you were working _against_ us, with this fool Jellal and his cretins."

"I would never…..to stumble into my parents footsteps would make me feel…." She shuddered, unable to even find a word for it.

His concentration was broken by a loud, earsplitting guitar, he followed the noise, leading them to an arena, "What is that infernal racket?" He snapped.

Standing at the other end of the arena was a metal musician, covered in enough makeup and heavy leather to give away said fact, wailing away at his guitar, "Yo, this is one hell of a concert!" He screeched.

The Emerald Knight got out his lance and shield, "This won't take long…"

"Hopefully not." Juvia adjusted her hat.

"This must be one of the three knights Jellal was bragging about." The Emerald Knight narrowed his eyes, "But to call a mongrel like _you_ a knight, why, it betrays common decency!"

"I'm not just a knight, I'm from the Death's Head Caucus! Dig it? I'm one of Trinity Raven! Vildaldus Taka is the name!" He sang as he played his guitar.

"I've had about enough of this nonsense." The Emerald Knight ran forward with his lance out, but Vildaldus countered by swinging his long massive locks of hair at the duo. The Emerald Knight blocked the strikes with his shield, gulping as he saw that his hair had enough power to crush bits of the floor or wall whenever it missed. Juvia was a bit luckier, as the hair went right through her water body.

"Allow me to assist you." Juvia said, holding a hand out, "Water Slicer!" She aimed the blasts at his hair.

Vildaldus gave a dark grin as he was hit at point blank range by the watery blades. His hair seemed to take the brunt of the assault, but the water seemed to shimmer and shine on his hair, slowly but surely being absorbed. He gave a high-pitched rocker's laugh as he flipped his newly doused hair about.

The Emerald Knight looked shocked, he had never seen anything as confounding and ridiculous as this, "What in damnation?"

"It seems his hair absorbed my water." Juvia took a step back, "How unfortunate…this will make the battle a bit more challenging…"

"A good wash with lots of water gets all that bedhead outta your hair!" Vildaldus said, "Shampooing every morning though it just asking it, that'll really kill your hair."

"You've got to be kidding me…" The Emerald Knight said. His face darkened with rage as he went in for another frontal assault.

"Oh, no you don't, little man, I'm gonna have to put the brakes on you!" Vildaldus played his guitar at a high speed, blasting numerous sound waves all over the arena.

The Emerald Knight flinched in pain and fell to a knee. No matter how big his shield was, (and it was pretty big), he couldn't block sound-based attacks. Hearing a musical piece that would inflict pain on its targets confounded him even more, he had never heard of such a practice.

Juvia's big eyes widened more as she saw him fall back. "Water Cane!" She held a hand out to hit Vildaldus with a whip-like tendril of water.

Vildaldus blocked her attack with a large lock of his hair, "Yo, how many times do I gotta tell ya, women? Nothing you do will work on me!"

The Emerald Knight panted as he stood up again. This was just great. Juvia couldn't hurt Vildaldus, and Vildaldus couldn't hurt Juvia. And _he_ , the only person who could land _any_ sort of blow on Vildaldus, would be repeatedly knocked back by Vildaldus's sound attacks. It was like a twisted, demented game of rock-paper-scissors, one that infuriated him.

Vildaldus seemed to be bored with this formula as well, "You." He pointed at Juvia, "I'm gonna make you my succubus."

"Your _what?_ " Juvia's eyes were wide, she clenched her fists, "In no way will I ever…do something so despicable!" She screamed with a certain amount of fury that almost seemed overdramatic for what Vildaldus had said.

"You don't got a choice in the matter, dame!" Vildaldus started playing a different song, "I just gotta play this song, and-

"I will not stand for this!" The Emerald Knight pointed his lance at Vildaldus, shooting off a green modest beam of lightning. It smacked into Vildaldus, he screamed and fell back, lighting up for the duration of his shock.

Juvia shuddered, then held a hand out. A huge gush of water went directly towards him, so hot, it was degrees away from boiling away.

Vildaldus blocked the attack with his hair, "Damn it, it doesn't matter how hot it is…your stupid water attacks won't hit me!"

The Emerald Knight's eyes widened he looked around the arena, it was started to get more and more drenched at this point. Green lightning would crackle off the Emerald Knight's armor and his lance, as all three of them were at the very least damp from all the attacks Juvia had been using.

Juvia's chest was rising and falling due to the magic she had just used, and the anger pumping through her veins, "Mister Emerald Knight." She called, "Understand that our powers work very well together. Despite the fact that every attack I make fails to directly impact him, it supports your attacks."

His eyes widened further, "You…you're right…" He looked at the soaked ground, then he looked at Juvia with fierce eyes, "What's your strongest attack? Never mind that, your attack that creates the most water. Hit me with it!"

"Huh…?" Vildaldus asked, a bit slow on the uptake.

"Attack me!" He begged.

"Oh no you don't, I know what you're planning!" Vildaldus raged, "I'll stop you with this!" He played his guitar, causing sound waves to reverberate around the arena. The Emerald Knight closed his eyes and choked out blood, some of which slipped through his clenched teeth.

"Hold your breath!" She called as she held a hand up, "Water Lock!"

The Emerald Knight closed his eyes and held his breath as he was surrounded by water. She let him out of the lock only after a moment or two. The Emerald Knight panted, absolutely soaked, but, true to Juvia's words, it seemed to work in his favor. His emerald armor began to light up in a radiant, vibrant display of green with power, lightning was crackled off all over his body. His deep green eyes homed in on Vildaldus, so much lightning was coming off of his lance that it looked as if he was carrying a lightning bolt.

"Whoa…wait a minute there dude…how…how could a little speck like you become so powerful…it's…it's impossible!" Vildaldus shivered at the might of the team in front of him.

The Emerald Knight scoffed at his opponent's pitiful offer. This man was no Gajeel. He wasn't tough, intimidating, or impressive for that matter. This fool wasn't worth the Emerald Knight's time. He gave a low cry, running at Vildaldus with his glowing green lance and piercing right through is midsection, the entire room lit up green as Vildaldus cried out in pain and coughed up blood. Lightning lashed its way around Vildaldus's body like unforgiving whips and terrorized the foe into a slow and painful demise. The Emerald Knight took a few steps back once he was finished, leaving the 'knight' of the Trinity Raven nothing more than a hopeless heap on the ground.

Juvia gave a slight smile, "You've…succeeded…I knew it."

He smiled back, "He would've made a giant fool out of me if it were not for you."

"I'm not entirely sure of that…." She sighed, "It was my anger, more than anything…"

"There's no shame in using anger to defeat your opponents." He said, "Denial of one's emotions, no matter where they stem from, does nothing but hinder our development."

She gave a slight nod, her mind flashing back to a dark time for only a moment:

 _Gajeel sat perched on a banister in Juvia's room, she was reading a book before the conversation of her parents was brought up._

" _So if my father was really…that evil…then how could he fall in love with my mother? Or…how could my mother fall in love with him? If he really had no compassion, then why am I here?"_

 _Gajeel leaned back a bit, "Yer dad had…uh….a few…women like your mother around…"_

"… _what…?" She said slowly, "You mean my mother…was…a…"_

 _Gajeel scratched the back of his head, "It's getting late…just…get some rest." He hopped off the banister and left, saying, "It hardly matters, right? Don't overthink it."_

 _She felt a huge puff of air leave her chest. That's why her mother sacrificed her so easily. Money was such a prize to her, a reward she thrived off of. Juvia was a mistake, daughter of a prostitute. Because of her existence, her mother had to quit her job and rely on the occasional payments her father offered when he was feeling generous. Juvia looked at her hands, then the guild mark on her leg, wondering exactly what the truth was and what were lies. No matter what, she would hold it all back. Any sort of sadness would only make Jose angry, since it would inhibit her abilities._

"You're right." Juvia agreed as she looked up at the Emerald Knight, a small smile on her lips, "Absolutely correct."

The Emerald Knight smiled back, "I'm glad we were able to take that fool out…hopefully the others won't mind if we rest here for a few minutes…"

She nodded, "Yes…I would quite like that."

* * *

Jellal looked on in shock at his chessboard, "They beat a member of Trinity Raven…" He mused, "I thought that would be impossible…let alone for a measly girl and a little green knight…why, the match was stacked up against them from the beginning…" He took a deep breath, "They might not realize this, but what they accomplished was actually quite impressive. I suppose those two are worthy companions of Erza." He chuckled deeply to himself, "Nevertheless, I shall make my move now."

* * *

"The decision to use an Etherion blast on the Tower of Heaven…" Org prefaced, "Stands at four in favor and five against, because of this, we can rule against the use of Etherion."

"Wait!" Siegrain shouted, "You people don't understand the true situation we're in yet!"

"Don't bother embarrassing yourself, Siegrain, I think you've lectured us quite enough." He said, "There is a peaceful resolution to this that won't require bloodshed."

"Peace?" Siegrain spat, flabbergasted, "You're wasting your time with a peaceful way out, in the meantime history is going to be rewritten! Jellal is trying to revive a dead man!"

"First of all, we don't even know if the R-System works!" Michello pointed out, "It's too early for an attack!"

"Don't you feel it?" Siegrain asked, "The overwhelming sensation of dark magic energy? The fear being caused just by _trying_ to bring him back to life…"

"What…what are you implying…?"

"The Black Wizard, Zeref!" Siegrain shouted.

There was a silence in the Magic Council, Org eventually asked, "How…how did you come across this information Siegrain?"

"I knew this would raise baseless doubts, so I kept my silence, but I know what Jellal is planning, I know what he wants!"

"Then you'd better tell us everything!"

* * *

Natsu suffered a kick from Fukuro, stumbling back, he then ran at the owl-man with his feet on fire, "Fire Dragon's Talons!" He lunged out two kicks, but Fukuro took them plainly and hardly lost any ground.

"He can stand up to Natsu so easily? That owl is no joke!" Happy exclaimed.

"I'd say it's time to bring the iron hammer of justice down upon your head!" Fukuro said. He launched his jetpack off of his back and it was headed straight for Natsu.

Natsu gulped, he avoided the jetpack the first few times it flew at him, but it kept swerving around for vengeance. Eventually it hooked onto his scarf and flew him around in very small circles, "No!" He screamed.

Simon narrowed his eyes, "What an odd attack…what does he plan to gain by attacking his opponent that way?"

"Urp…" Natsu said helplessly after a while of flying around in circles.

"Oh no…" Happy shivered.

"I did a fair a bit of research on my opponent, don't you worry!" Fukuro remarked jollily, "I know of your weakness!"

"This is really bad, that thing's a moving vehicle!" Happy said, "Natsu gets motion sick on moving vehicles!"

"Wait, he gets what?" Simon asked nervously.

"First, weaken your prey, then capture it! That is the joy of the hunt!" Fukuro said, he waited patiently for Natsu to fall from his perch, then he ran out with his mouth wide open, "Now it's time for the capture!"

Simon and Happy's jaws dropped when Natsu fell into Fukuro's mouth, he swallowed him whole.

"Hey!" Happy yelled, "What do you think you're doing?"

"He…he swallowed him whole…what…what madness is this?" Simon asked.

"I digest the magic of those I devour!" Fukuro said.

"Give Natsu back!" Happy angrily flew at Fukuro with his little fists out.

Fukuro gave Happy a dark look, there was now a pink tuft of hair on his head, as well as fire burning off of him, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist! Hoo-hoo!" He punched Happy away with a flaming fist.

Happy coughed as he flew back, "Fire? What the heck?"

"You okay, Happy!" Simon called, "Wait…digest…? No…it can't be…does that mean, he can use fire magic now?"

* * *

"So…" Org sighed, "The final votes tally at eight for and one against the use of Etherion." He said, "Thus, the motion to use Etherion on the Tower of Heaven has been passed!"

After the decision there was a momentary recess before the Etherion would be prepped for use, Siegrain spotted Yajima looked out the window, "Mister Yajima…you may not be able to comprehend this…but you can at least accept the fact that Zeref walking these lands again should be stopped at all costs, correct?"

"I wash my hands of the whole thing." Yajima said, "Be sure to take responsibility, for whatever the outcome is."

"Of course. I accept full responsibility for this." Siegrain said.

"I'm talking about the responsibility for human lives!" Yajima snapped, "You're going to have to live with the weight of all the lives taken from that tower, including your own brother Siegrain!"

"Etherion will launch in one hour!" A frog attendant cried, "Everyone make preparation!"

"You'll have your answer in a few moments, I assure you." Siegrain said.

* * *

"Well Erza, it looks like you've lost your very best piece…" Jellal snickered darkly, looking at the chess piece of a dragon, "Now what will you do? There's no time left, soon…it will be game over!" He gave a loud laugh.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, how was that? Let me know if you have any feedback, it's always appreciated! I'll try to do my best with regularly updating chapters, but I'm not out of the woods yet. Hope you liked it!


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N:** Here's chapter thirty eight! I thought maybe a double upload would be nice :) Hope you like this chapter! Time for Erza to kick butt and have an important epiphany! It's funny because there were a bunch of GrayZa moments in this, but since those two haven't been getting along recently I had to change some of their thoughts.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Gray ran down the halls of the tower, never feeling more conflicted in his life at this point. _What the hell is even the point of all this?_ He wondered, after how Erza has been treating him lately, he might as well turn and go home.

" _Anything you say to me has no merit." She spat, "Not anymore. If you want to break these guild rules, then you're hardly a guild mate in the first place. You will listen to your superiors and obey, or I won't hesitate to stop you myself."_

He remembered her words from right when she found out about their little trip to Galuna. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _And what are we doing now, trying to help you out. What am I even doing here?_ "When I find this stupid Shô guy, him being an icicle will be the least of his damn problems…"

He swallowed hard when he entered a new room, seeing an owl man, Happy, and Simon.

"Gray?" Simon asked.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Gray snapped, "You're supposed to be going after Erza and Shô!"

"I…I was stopped…"

"Then get off your ass and get moving! If we don't find Erza, we're screwed!" He said, "Jellal said he was gonna make Erza into his sacrifice! With her inside that stupid card, she's a sitting duck!"

"I knew Shô was a bit too fragile to fully embrace the truth like that…" Simon coughed, "But I had no idea he would do what he did…"

"Gray…" Happy whimpered from the ground, "Natsu…was…was eaten by that guy…" He pointed at the owl man.

"What?" Gray asked, enraged as a few veins appeared on his forehead, "Alright, I've had it up to here with this nonsense! Let's go, bird-brain!"

"Digestion has already begun!" Fukuro remarked proudly, "In ten minutes, Salamander will have merged within my body! And once that's over, I'll get to permanently keep his magic power!"

"You guys stay back." Gray said, it looked as if he needed to let off some steam, "I'll take care of this clown. Ice-Make…Lance!" He fired off hundreds of icy needles headed straight for Fukuro.

"No Gray, wait! He sucked up all of Salamander's magic!" Simon cried.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Fukuro blasted a fiery breath at Gray.

Gray gulped and yelled in pain as he was shrouded in fire.

"Hoo-hoo! You cannot use your ice inside of my fire attacks!" Fukuro yelled as he gave another blast. Gray was stuck inside a fiery vortex that was slowly burning him away.

"You…you bastard…" Gray coughed through the fire, trying to get out.

"Gray…" Happy tried to get up, but it was futile.

"Hoo-hoo! You know the power of Salamander's flames, being his comrade! This match was already over before it even begun!" Fukuro sang.

" _Gray." She gave him a fierce look, like fire and ice they stared at each other, "I thought I could forgive you if you listened in the future. Doubting me again won't only put you in trouble, it will threaten the lives of the guild members."_

Gray took a deep breath as an icy mist came off of him, he froze everything around him, freeing himself from Fukuro's attack. _Even in Phantom Lord, she treated me like some punk…what the hell do I have to do to get her trust back?_

"He…he _froze_ the fire!" Simon said.

"You call that Natsu's fire?" Gray smirked, covered in burn marks, "I barely felt that, no cheap copy can come close to the real deal, bird-brain…"

"Hoo-hoo! Now that's a real magic power!" Fukuro sprinted at Gray, "I'll just capture you too!"

"This is bad!" Simon yelled.

"Get away from him Gray!" Happy said.

It was too late, Fukuro already began swallowing Gray whole, his entire head and most of his torso was inside Fukuro's body.

"Gray, no!" Happy called.

Gray grabbed his rather large beak, slowly starting to freeze it, "Ooh! That's cold! Freezing!" Fukuro cried out.

"I don't have time to horse around and play games with some big jerk like you!" Gray yelled.

They were a unit now, whether he liked it or not. Natsu, the Emerald Knight, Gray, Happy, and Erza. It was true that he and Erza have been at odds for months now, but she was a teammate, and he wasn't going to lose her here in this dingy tower. And if that meant that he was going to have to defeat an overgrown owl that liked to eat people, so be it. He would always have time later to square things off with Erza.

"I'm going to do what I can to save Erza now!" Gray screamed, "So get outta my way!" Two large spiky icicles came out of Gray's elbows as he ran at Fukuro and started slashing at him, "Ice Blade…Seven Strike Dance!" Fukuro squawked and coughed up more and more blood, eventually barfing Natsu back up in the process. Gray panted after his opponent fell, "Erza is one of us…that's as simple as it gets…"

"Gray Fullbuster…" Simon watched on in awe, "He's much stronger than I initially gave him credit for…"

"We gotta hurry and find Erza…" Gray panted, losing his footing occasionally.

"Natsu, are you okay?" Happy felt Natsu's face.

Simon gave a relaxed smile, relieved at just how powerful Erza's friends were.

* * *

"Target data uploaded! Refresh the coordinates!" A frog attendant said.

"Revise the data for the wavelengths, there are obstructions!" Another attendant said.

"Etherion charge at sixty percent complete!" A third attendant said.

"Twenty-seven minutes until we fire!" A fourth said.

"When the Council Chairman took ill, I never would have expected we would be faced with a disaster such as this one." Org said, overseeing the entire matter.

"It can't be helped." Michello said, "The fate of the entire magical world is on the shoulders of the nine council members in his absence."

Org didn't respond right away. It was obvious that Etherion was still weighed heavily on his mind.

"You worry too much, Org." Michello said, "While it is an attack on another province without permission…we're protected by the International Safety Treaty, chapter twenty-seven, paragraph four."

"I'm not talking about the legality of the matter." Org said abruptly, "I'm concerned about the sheer levels of Etherion that we're dropping on people's heads!"

"It's Zeref! He's the devil himself! When you're against the devil himself, all you can do is pray for an angel's intervention!"

Siegrain meanwhile was watching the Etherion being prepared from another vantage point, though he didn't look as worried as any of the other council members.

"The moment you've been waiting for has almost come." The sound of heels hitting the floors rang out as Ultear walked in, "Your eight year plan is about to come to fruition."

Siegrain smiled, "Doesn't it scare you, Ultear?"

"Why would it?" She asked, "I trust you entirely."

"I imagine so…after all, there is no risk to _your_ life."

She giggled, "Yes, that's true."

"But I myself am trembling…" Siegrain said, "If I fail, I die…however, it's well worth betting my life on…"

Yajima's jaw dropped lower and lower with each word Siegrain spoke as overheard them from behind a doorframe, "If he fails…he dies…?" He wondered.

"This is all for the sake of my ideals!" Siegrain said with a sick grin on his face.

"Of course." Ultear smiled.

* * *

"Only twenty-five minutes left…" Jellal chuckled darkly, "Then we'll never see each other again, Siegrain…"

* * *

"Jellal!" Shô shouted in a bloodthirsty rage, "Damn you! Damn you straight to hell! You made a fool out of me! You hurt sister!"

"Just relax and get me out of here!" Erza demanded from her card.

"You're fine for now, sister. I'll protect you." Shô said.

As Shô kept running, ignoring Erza's pleas, the sound of shoes hitting the floors were heard, until they were faced with a pink-haired woman in a kimono, with fierce, combative eyes, "They call me Ikaruga the Dove." Her gentle voice said, "Fitting, is it not?"

"Get out of my way." Shô barked, "What's with the clown outfit anyway?"

"…what?" She raised an eyebrow, "Oh dears…appears I've been confronted with a buffoon…"

"I've got no business with you, lady!" Shô threw out hundreds of magical cards at once.

She swung her sword through the air with pristine grace, slicing each card in half, managing to slice through something as thin as a playing card. After she had finished, she threw a smile Shô's way, "There is nothing that I find impossible to cut through." Sure enough, a gash had opened up in his chest the moment she finished speaking.

"No way…" Shô coughed up blood and fell over, "How…how can she do that…?"

"Shô!" Erza's card flew to the ground.

"Ah, that's where you've been hiding…" Ikaruga took a step forward.

"Get me out now, Shô!" Erza begged, "There's no way you can defeat her now!"

"Don't…don't worry…" Shô coughed, "That card will protect you…nothing from the outside world will hurt you…"

"Mmm, is that so?" Ikaruga got even closer, like a shark hunting a swimmer.

"Shô, now!" Erza urged, "Her sword isn't normal!"

"You'll be fine…trust me…" Shô said.

Erza held up her blade defensively as Ikaruga struck, the slash carried through. Erza was lucky she blocked it, or she would have likely been sliced open.

"What…she cut through the spatial divide…?" Shô's jaw dropped, "She can get to the inside?"

Ikaruga kept clashing at Erza from inside the card, until a gush of wind swept over the battle field and Erza was freed, standing before Ikaruga with her sword, "Your attacks sliced a clear path for me out of the spatial divide."

Shô swallowed hard, "A…a sword that can c-cut through space itself…at least…at least sister used this tactic as her advantage to free herself…"

"I have no use for you." Erza said, her eyes lidded with aggravation, "Leave before my temper snaps."

Ikaruga snickered.

"What?" Erza demanded, before she looked down and saw her armor start to chip away. A shocked look plastered on her face, until her entire chest plate fell to the ground in a shattered mess.

"A formal greeting, if you will." Ikaruga crossed her arms, a dark shadow crossing her face, "What? Oh, don't tell me you didn't see that coming."

Erza grit her teeth in frustration as she glared daggers at Ikaruga.

"Look at you." Ikaruga gave a smug grin, "You're so obsessed with the idea of defeating Jellal that you're blind to everything else. Especially the threat right before you. I'll end you, Erza Scarlet, you have yet to realize this."

Erza's eyes narrowed as she focused in on Ikaruga even more.

"Ah, that's the look I wanted to see. The look of a lion about to pounce…" She purred, "I can't wait to watch the confidence melt off of your face as I bring you to your knees." She drew her sword, "I'm warning you, I'm no sideshow."

"It appears so." Erza started to requip into her Heaven's Wheel armor. "You're my enemy, for now."

"Oh? You're so sure that you'll make it past me? How precious. Counting your chicks before they hatch, hmm? Such a rookie move for Erza Scarlet…" She made her move, running forward to clash with her. Erza complied, before flying up into the air and giving herself some space.

She held her swords out, "Heaven's Wheel: Circle Sword!" As she lashed her sword out, a ring of blades flew down to hack into Ikaruga.

Ikaruga's smile grew, perhaps with intrigue, before she held her blade up, "New Moon School…" The air grew dark, "Demon Flash!" She spun around destroying all of Erza's blades. The splinters of metal fell the ground like rain as Ikaruga landed.

Erza's eyes were wide as she swallowed hard, then looked down at her armor, which started to collapse around her, sending splitting pain all over as some of the slashes ripped through the metal.

Ikaruga didn't miss a beat and launched her next attack, "New Moon School, Garuda Flame!"

As she launched a pillar of flames, Erza's feet finally reached the ground. "Requip! Flame Empress Armor!"

As Erza held her arms out to catch the flames, she was blown into the wall. The crumbling bricks gave away to her figure as she pulled herself away, her armor falling to chunks on the ground yet again.

"I compliment you on the speed of your requips." Ikaruga said, "However, if that armor stands no chance against Jellal, then why use it on me, hmm? Show me your best armor, how you'd present yourself to our lordship."

"Fine…" Erza let out a low growl as she transformed into a set of silver and black armor, spikes completely covering her body, some of them the size of thorns, other the size of a person's hand, "No one who's seen this armor has lived to see another day…" She said, "Witness my Purgatory Armor!"

Ikaruga wasted no time, yet again, and flew forward, slashing through her armor as if it were made of aluminum foil. It shattered to the ground, a stream of blood escaping Erza's lips as she stumbled forward.

"No…it…it can't be…" Shô coughed weakly, "Sister…must…overcome…this enemy…but…but how…?"

"Was that really your strongest armor?" Ikaruga asked with a smile as Erza's body fell to the ground, "Perhaps now you'll understand. Armor has no real effect, I'll defeat anyone in my path, protected or not."

Erza's body shook as blood leaked all over, she hugged herself as she kept shaking.

"You may surrender now." Ikaruga said with an airy tone to her voice.

However, Erza stumbled back up to her feet, a glow of requip surrounding her.

Ikaruga's smile grew as she watched Erza attempt another requip, "As I told you-"

She was brought to silence as she saw her next set of 'armor', nothing but white cloth wrapped around her breasts, like bandages, and dark red pants with a flaming design on the bottom. Her hair was tied out of her face to limit any other sense of distraction.

"What…has she lost it…?" Shô asked wearily, "That won't protect her…"

"And what sort of preposterous idea is this?" Ikaruga asked, "It's just cloth…" Her eye twitched with frustration, "I was kind enough to show you my skills, and you mock me like this?"

"What are you doing sister?" Shô screamed, "You should have tons of stronger armor than this! You're way stronger than her, right?"

Erza gave an empty sigh, feeling those words were far from the truth. She remembered young Simon, _I like being alone. It's when I'm with others that I feel unease._ She remembered Grandpa Rob, _Too many allies have died before my eyes…no…not allies…friends…_ She remembered all her friends in the Tower of Heaven, _I haven't been able to protect my friends at all…and…_ She remembered Jellal, then her childhood in Fairy Tail, _I'm always crying…they want me to be strong…to be bulletproof…to stand up to anything…so I let armor serve as my wall…while I'm just a coward underneath…_ Her eyes lit up like flames as she drew two swords, "That's why I'm not wearing armor. Because it's what makes me weak."

Ikaruga cocked an eyebrow, "Armored or not, I can still slice into you."

 _Armor…it's only prevented me from being human. From having a heart…from connecting…_ She recalled each cruel word to Natsu, to the Emerald Knight, to the others in Fairy Tail. To Gray. _What have I done…?_

"Prepare to die!" Ikaruga flew forward to slash into Erza.

"I will never make such foolish mistakes again!" Erza cried as she held her swords up, "I'll be stronger than ever! I'll let my heart beat over my judgement!"

The swordswomen flew past each other at lightning speeds. They stood perfectly still a moment after the sound of slicing blades filled the air.

Erza grunted as her shoulder gushed with blood, she stumbled back.

A grin spread across Ikaruga's lips, "It has ended."

Erza's bloodshot eyes slowly rolled to the side, "I…wouldn't speak so soon…Ikaruga…."

Ikaruga's eyes widened as she looked down at herself, her torso split with blood. She cried out and fell to the floor as blood leaked from her mouth.

"That's….impossible…" She croaked out as her body hit the floor.

Ikaruga's chest heaved as she struggled to take any more air in. Erza's shoulders relaxed, her eyes fell down on Ikaruga as she started speaking, "You…think you've won…" Ikaruga said weakly, "But…I've succeeded…" She gave a dry laugh, "I've won…"

"What?" Erza demanded, kicking her in the side lightly, "Don't speak in riddles now. Having your last words fall on deaf ears is a waste."

"In….no less….than fifteen moments…." She lifted a hand up slowly, "You will lose Jellal…." She reached out for the sky, "Fall down upon us; O light of divine justice; bring death to us all…" She choked a bit, her head falling to the side as she lost control of her movement. "That….that is what a waste of last words is….Erza…Scar…" Her words died away as her body went limp.

"Fifteen minutes." Erza's eyes were wide, "She was stalling for Etherion…" She looked over at Shô, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah…I…I'm fine…" Shô said, eventually getting to his feet.

"Alright…" Erza rubbed one of her temples in thought, "Get Simon and the others, as well as my guild mates. Take them and leave this place."

"B-But…" He looked nervous.

"You'll do as I ask, right, Shô?" She asked with a smile.

He nodded, "Yeah…what about you, sister?"

"I'll meet you all later." She said, "As of now…I have to put an end to this."

* * *

Jellal knocked down the piece representing Ikaruga, one of the last pieces standing, at this point, "Well, that went by quicker than I expected." He observed, "The game's almost over…"

"Playing with people's lives again, I see." Erza's bare feet scuffed against the hard floors.

"On its own, life is boring and empty. We are all forced to play this game of existing day to day, that so happens to be called 'life'. Within life and death is an immeasurable amount of emotions. Is my fun so wrong to you?" He turned to face her, "It's been a while, Erza."

"Indeed it has." She mused as she crossed her arms at him, "Jellal." Her glare was as piercing as an arrow.

"You could have escaped whenever you felt like it, you know." Jellal said.

"I'm here for my friends. The ones you manipulated."

"Take them. I don't need them anymore." He said, "In case you haven't noticed, the Tower of Heaven is now complete."

"Just to be destroyed in moments?"

"You mean Etherion?" He asked, giving a loud dark snicker, as if he thought the whole thing was a huge joke.

"You're…far too relaxed." She said, "I take it it's a trap?"

"Oh no…don't you worry…Etherion _will_ fall."

"Perfect." She said dryly, raising her sword in the air, "I'll have all the time I need then to end this right here."

Jellal gave a loud insane laugh as he pulled his hood down, "No!" He snapped with a big smile on his face, "You will die as a sacrifice to Zeref! It's already been decided! It's your destiny!" He snickered for a while after his grand speech, "Only seven minutes remain until Etherion will fall. So…we should enjoy our last seven minutes to the fullest Erza!"

"And why should I care?" She asked, "As long as I bring you to the afterlife, my job is complete." _And maybe we could be together, then…_ A tiny voice inside her head suggested, but she quickly pushed it aside.

"We'll see about that!" Jellal blasted dark purple phantoms at Erza. Any phantom that missed would blow a hole straight through the wall.

As Erza was blown from the tower, she used the rubble to jump off of and claw her way back inside, "Doesn't it burn?" She asked, reaching out to slice him, "To destroy the tower you've worked on your entire life?"

"What's a mere pillar or two?" Jellal asked, "That's just decoration."

She growled before screaming, "Shô and the others have worked on this 'decoration' for eight years! Because _you_ tricked them into slavery!"

"I had no idea you enjoyed lecturing your opponents so…" Jellal said, "What's important is that we've spent eight years building this R-System. That can never be broken!" He launched a volley of phantoms at her, ensnaring her in a shroud of darkness, "And you can't do anything to stop me!"

As her body began to be consumed by phantoms, she thrashed inside them. Jellal felt a smile spread on his lips, but it stopped as her sword came flying through the phantoms, splitting them apart. Breaking free, she hit him hard with the blunt end of her blade, knocking him to the floor. She didn't miss a beat, landing on top of him. Straddling his chest, one knee rested over his shoulder beside his ear, the other under his arm, while she held her blade to his neck.

Jellal went pale, giving a shudder or two, "E-Erza…" He said, more than just simply scared.

"So what is your real intention?" She asked, no fear or hesitance wavering on her face.

* * *

 **A/N:** Any other Jerza fans out there who love this moment? …well anyway, I really hope you liked this chapter, it was really action packed, that's for sure! Send a review, they're always appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N:** Here's chapter thirty nine! Lots of Jellal action in this chapter, finally.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

The Emerald Knight and Juvia were still resting after their defeat of Vildaldus, when they were spotted by Elspeth and Wally, both duos had uneasy glances towards one another.

"You guys…" Wally said, "You're the ones we ambushed earlier…"

The Emerald Knight gave them a stone cold glare. Bits of his armor were still shining brilliantly as lightning sparked from his body, that and the combination of Vidaldus's bloodied body behind him didn't really help send an image conveying that he was in a good mood.

Wally screamed like a girl, falling to his knees, "Oh, please don't kill us! We know we shouldn't have attacked ya! We gotta get outta here before Etherion strikes, please! If you got something against us, save it for later, will ya?"

Juvia stood beside the Emerald Knight, a few feet behind him. She had years of practice crossing her arms and putting up a façade of intimidation, but behind that mask she was melting. _If he hadn't forgiven me…is this how he would act to me? Why did he forgive me if I did so much worse than them? Is it…just the timing? Have I lucked out? Or is his kindness temporary…?_

The Emerald Knight's lance sparked with hunger, he pointed it at the duo in front of them. But his merciless expression eventually faded. How could he be such a fool? These were Erza's friends. Her fellow gemstone knights, if it was put his way. Yes, he was humiliated by them, but they were victims in this too, it was easy to tell by the words and actions of Shô and Simon. He felt this tremendous rage over him, and he wanted to take it out on the entirely wrong group of people. He sheathed his lance, "Forgive me…that was wrong…we should all escape Etherion together."

"Oh, thank you Emerald Knight!" Wally squeezed him with overwhelming affection and relief, "There's a little boat out by the shore that we'll use to escape! Some of your friends are already there too!"

"Alright, I get it, now get off of me." The Emerald Knight said. He had no idea why whenever he did these missions that the weirdest person involved in the task would hug him to death whenever he forgave them.

* * *

Natsu screamed as he awoke, being carried on another person's back.

"Ah, I see you're awake, Natsu." Simon said.

"I was riding on this weird vehicle…" Natsu said, then he wilted, "Urp…"

"No way, even the _memory_ of it makes you feel sick?" Simon cocked an eyebrow, then he sighed, "In any case, you were quickly devoured by Fukuro, but Gray was able to free you."

"What? Gray did?" Natsu snapped as he started walking by himself without Simon's aid.

"He's heavily wounded now, so I just had your cat escort him out of the tower."

"No! This is not fair! How can Gray win against someone I lost to?"

"…see, you didn't even 'lose' really…you were…just eaten…"

"I just _know_ he's going to use that against me for a month…I'll never live it down with him, this is totally not fair!"

"Hey! Focus!"

"I can't take it! I'm gonna go beat up that Fukuro guy, maybe with one of my arms tied behind my back, I should be able to surpass Gray-"

"This isn't the time for that!" Simon yelled.

He blinked a few times, "By the way, who are you again?"

"I'm Simon. One of Erza's old friends." He said, then he flinched and fell to one knee.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Don't worry about me…just listen…Natsu…a little while ago I got a message from Wally and Elspeth. They found the Emerald Knight, Juvia, and one of the members of Trinity Raven, or, at least what's left of him. They didn't understand the situation at first, but the four of them together are escaping the tower before the Etherion falls. Not long after that Shô sent me a message clarifying that all three members of Trinity Raven have been defeated."

"But I didn't beat any of them!" Natsu complained.

"The only one left is Jellal, and Erza is going after him." Simon said, "She said she has to finish all of this. Fate has bound those two together for eight years. A fight to the death is pretty much unavoidable. But…Jellal is much too strong for her…so I'm asking you to go and send Erza your aid!"

"No."

Simon looked shocked, "You…you refuse to save your friend?"

"This is Erza's problem. I can't just go butting into it."

"But Erza can never beat Jellal!"

"Who do you think Erza is, you jerk!"

"No, I'm not talking about magic powers!" Simon rose his voice, "Erza is…trying to save Jellal from himself! I know it! Even now she can never bring herself to hate him!" He took a deep breath to steady himself, "Jellal is a crooked and cunning man, the fact that he'll have one trick after another planned for Erza is more than just very likely. Worse still, with the Etherion about to rain down, this will end for us all much sooner than we'd like. When it strikes, everyone in this tower will die! That's probably less than ten minutes at this point!"

"What?"

"Erza made sure everyone escaped, then she went off alone. You know Erza pretty well, don't you? I hate to admit it…but I think she's going to sacrifice herself in the Etherion blast, she plans to die together with Jellal."

"Why didn't you say that in the first place?" Natsu screamed, "Where is Erza? Tell me!"

* * *

"Tell me Jellal." Erza's blade pressed into the skin of his neck, not yet slicing through, "You haven't really finished the R-System, have you? I've done my research, as well as training to defeat you when the day finally came. I had eight years after all, that's plenty of time to figure out just what you were attempting. Yes, the building of the tower was important, but not nearly as important as the missing element you've been so quiet about."

"I've…I've already told you…" Jellal said, his face still pale, "You…you are my sacrifice…"

"But…even then…" Erza grit her teeth with frustration, "You'd need more magic power than every wizard on the continent combined to pull something like that off!" She spoke a bit more quietly as her mind started to function, "Not even this fragile tower could handle that amount of power…which means there's something up your sleeve…something else you're not telling me."

"Three minutes until Etherion strikes…"

"That dream ended ages ago!" Erza screamed as her sword found his neck again, "Do you have a death wish?" She gripped his arm tightly with her other arm, trying to squeeze her frustrations out, "If that's it, then I'm going with you! I'll hold you here with my own hands until we're both dead, Jellal!"

"A-Alright…" Jellal said weakly, a pained and nostalgic look on his face, "Perhaps…that wouldn't be such a bad idea…Zeref's spirit took over my body…he's taken control of me…I'm just a puppet he's using until he can be revived…"

"….took….took over…?" Her eyes were wide as her blade wavered.

"I…I couldn't save myself…I couldn't save anyone in the end…there…there is no heaven…look for your entire life…but you'll never find heaven or freedom…all of our existence was predetermined before it even started…there's no way I could have finished the R-System…but Zeref's spirit wouldn't allow me to let up…no one…is able to stop him now…I'm just…a broken engine that he's driving…" He smiled, "You win Erza…kill me…that's why you came here, isn't it?"

Erza's eyes watered as they watched his face smile, her mind flashed memories of the same smile when they were young, and used to play games with the rats, or run away from doing their 'chores'. Especially when Jellal lead them towards 'freedom'. "Jellal…" She said softly, "It doesn't matter anymore." Her words were crisp, but there was a depth to her voice, "I know you can hear it. The Satellite Square has been deployed, targeting this tower. It's over for both of us then, isn't it?"

His smile grew, "You always had such a big heart…Erza…"

She gave a teary smile and collapsed beside him as her sword tumbled to the ground, "You were…just one of Zeref's victims then…?"

"It's my own fault. I was defeated by my weakness." He said, "There was such a huge divide between my dream and reality, that my heart couldn't bear it."

She scooted a bit closer, "Jellal…I'll share with you something I learned myself quite recently…" Her eyes met his, "The only thing that can protect us from pain…hardships and fear…is friendship."

"Erza…after all I've done…you still consider me a friend…?"

"Of course…" She said, her voice but a whisper, "Now…I think it's about time I pay the price for not saving you sooner…" She trembled, "No amount of apologies can suffice for the pain I've put you through…" She lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly as she tucked her face into his neck.

"I have been saved…." He smiled, hugging her back.

* * *

Near the tower there was a small boat that was slowly floating away from it. Gray, Juvia, Happy, and the Emerald Knight sat in it, as did most of Erza's friends, with the exception of Simon. They all soon noticed over the tower a giant multicolored beam of magic circles, all aimed above the tower, preparing to rain down Etherion.

"Crap…we're completely out of time." Gray said.

"But…but Natsu and Erza are still in there…" Happy sniffed.

"Simon's in there too, crap…what do we do?" Wally asked.

"I don't know…" Shô said quietly, "Sister only told me to escape with all of you…she…she must want to take out Jellal herself."

The Emerald Knight closed his eyes, "The only thing we can do now is prepare for the worst…"

Juvia felt her heart pound quite a bit, "I'll prepare a water lock for us, to prevent any injuries…but how do we get them out?"

"It isn't worth it." Elspeth said softly, "It's too late."

A massive pure white laser beam erupted from the sky, smashing into the tower, causing a vicious plethora of explosions to rattle off the tower as its size was quickly and drastically diminished. It wasn't long until humungous waves were cascaded all over the ocean. If it were not for Juvia's water lock, their boat would have capsized about twenty times over. Nothing could be heard over than the roaring sound of explosions and magic power for minutes to come.

When the smoke cleared, the sightseers were surprised by the result, "What the hell…I thought Etherion was supposed to blow this place to smithereens, it looks like most of the tower is still intact." Gray said, seeing that the tower was now a light blue crystal structure, almost as if Etherion did nothing but break off an outer shell.

"I was under the impression that Etherion left nothing intact once it was fired." The Emerald Knight said, "What could this mean?"

"Is it…an illusion…?" Elspeth blinked slowly.

"It can't be…." Juvia shuddered, "Do…you think they're still in there?"

"I hope so…" Happy said.

* * *

"Direct hit by Etherion! Direct hit by Etherion!" A frog attendant announced.

"Extreme weather conditions underway!" Another frog attendant said.

"I wonder how many people were in that tower…" Org sighed.

"They were all working for Zeref." Michello said, "It's impossible to avoid a few sacrifices when his revival is concerned."

"Whatever our justifications…that won't alleviate the families of those sacrificed…"

"Wait a minute…" A frog attendant said, "That attack, I believe it was neutralized…"

"Yes, there was a fusion…" Another frog attendant said, "Our target, it's no longer a tower, but a giant lacrima!"

"And it absorbed all of Etherion's power!"

"What did you say?" Org yelled.

Yajima confronted Siegrain, a glare on his face, "You've got a lot of explaining to do, Siegrain…"

Siegrain gave Yajima a passive smile, before fading away out of sight.

He gasped, "He…he vanished…he disappeared!"

"The tower is confirmed to have stored all of Etherion's magic power!" A frog attendant swallowed hard.

"He tricked us…he tricked us!" Yajima said.

The entire temple for the Magic Council began to slowly collapse, bit by bit, everyone looked up to see falling rubble about to hit them on the heads.

"What is this?" Org asked, "The Lost Magic, Arc of Time?"

"The entire building is going to collapse in seconds, we need to evacuate now!" Belno urged.

Yajima scrambled through the ruins of the Magic Council, eventually he spotted Ultear, a huge amount of magic energy coming off of her, it was obvious to him that she was behind this, "Ultear! What are you doing?"

Ultear caught some falling rubble, a smile on her dark lips, "It's all for Siegrain, of course…" She said, "No…no, for Jellal…" She said as her smile widened, "His dream is becoming a reality as we speak…"

* * *

Erza's eyes slowly peeked open after gripping onto Jellal as tightly as she could. Her dark eyes darted all over, watching rubble fall to the ground as she slowly released her hold on Jellal, "What…what happened…? We're…still here…?"

Jellal let out a loud and boisterous insane laugh as he stood tall, it was a laugh darker than Erza had ever heard from him, "Finally! Finally the time has come!"

"….what….?" She asked slowly, her eyes wavering, "Jellal…"

He kept his dark chuckle going, "Does this surprise you, Erza?" He held his hands out with a big smile on his face, " _This_ is the true form of the Tower of Heaven! It is a giant lacrima! And because of the council, and Etherion…it has sucked up more than enough magic power to start the ceremony! Now the R-System is fully operational!"

"You….you tricked me?" She asked, her tone was livid.

"Your naivety was adorable, Erza." Erza heard another voice behind her, sounding identical to Jellal's voice, "Jellal was actually in danger. He couldn't put forth his true strength. So the only thing he could do was trick you." Siegrain said.

"Siegrain…." Erza asked slowly, "How the hell did you get here!" She demanded.

"I remember the first time we met, Erza." He said in a businesslike fashion, "You came in to give us case reports with Makarov. You then mistook me for Jellal and attacked. Still…we do have the same face so it would be natural…you finally calmed down once I told you that we were twins. But your hostility never truly went away, didn't it?"

"What did you expect from me, Siegrain? You spent your time covering up every step Jellal made, instead of stopping him and helping him like a good brother would! And to think, you were spying on me for him? And you expect us to get along?"

"Ah yes, a big mistake of mine. I'm sure another lie would have fooled you easily. If I said something along the lines of 'I'm going to find Jellal and kill him' then I'm sure we would make very good friends." He said, "My biggest mistake in general was meeting you right when I joined the council."

"Yes indeed, making up excuses on the spot is so bad for your personal image." Jellal mused.

"I had a feeling you two were in cahoots this entire time…" Erza said.

"Well, you see, that isn't really the right word now." Jellal said, as Siegrain walked into him without any sort of collision.

"From the very start, we weren't two different people, just two faces of the same person." They both said, as Siegrain fused into Jellal.

"You….were an illusion…" Her eyes widened at Siegrain.

"Exactly." Jellal said, "Siegrain was always me." Erza felt his magic power returning, as the familiar, dark blue, almost purple mist came off of him.

"That's….unfeasible! How?" She demanded, "How could you use Etherion on yourself? Is that the only reason you weaseled your way into the Council?"

"How was your little eight-year trip of freedom, hmm?" Jellal sneered, "Of course, none of it matters, considering you were always just a pawn in my plan to revive Zeref."

She clenched her fists, "How much of your life have you wasted with lies!?"

He glowed with an intense blue energy, "Oh, my, how long it's been since I've been at full power. You have no idea how much energy having a permanent thought projection running around can be. It feels so…nice…" He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them, "Erza, you must now know that you surely don't stand a chance, right? You've just finished a fight with Ikaruga, you're beyond exhausted, while I'm still fresh." He said, "Even if you weren't tired, you could never topple my magic power."

"Is that so…" She said deeply, pulling a sword out from her requip space that was about the size of a person, and rearing it back to gash into him, "Jellal!" She screamed from the top of her lungs.

Jellal flipped back, evading her attack, "I assure you bigger isn't always better." He remarked, "I'll also notify you that the Magic Council is probably nothing but rubble at this point. Even though they know what I've done, they'll never be able to retaliate! I really must thank Ultear, she did such great work with me. She said 'if the eyes of heaven see all of mankind as one…then there is nothing to fear in death.' But in all honesty, I should thank heaven for providing me with such a stupid woman!"

"I think the best thing for you at this point would be killing you with the suffering of everyone you've used!" She reared back again to slice into him, but froze up, a zapping pain holding her in her place. Her eye twitched and she looked over her shoulder, "What…what is this sensation!?"

"Just a bind snake." Jellal said, "I slipped it onto you during our heartwarming reunion."

She bit her tongue as she felt the piercing feeling slither along her body, a red two-dimensional serpent crawled along her skin, restricting all her movement.

"I now have enough power to use the R-System. I also have my human sacrifice so I can revive Zeref." He said, as a large crystal rock burst up from the floor behind Erza, "I'm afraid I have no time left to play with you, Erza. The power in this lacrima will fuse with your body. It will break down your body into incredibly tiny molecules, eventually reforming into Zeref's body." He shoved her into the crystal, Erza felt a horrid pain as she felt her life slowly drain from her, the bind snake still restricting her movement, "I really did love you, Erza." He said, it came as a natural surprise to her, but the undertones of what was happening around her in no way made the message pleasant in the slightest bit.

Erza's eyes welled up in pain, "….tch….damn you Jellal…..you heartless bastard…."

"O great and powerful Zeref! I now call upon you! Take this woman's body as my offering!"

Her voice wavered as she cried his name out to stop him. She eventually felt someone pull her out, helping her back on her feet, "Erza's a Fairy Tail wizard!" Natsu said, "I won't let you have her!"

"Natsu…" She whimpered weakly, clinging onto him with the leftover energy she had.

"Come on, what are you doing here? We gotta go get a job!" Natsu smiled, "We should at least _try_ to help Ant with his debt collector problem…"

She fell to the ground after he tried to help her up, "Natsu….accept this as…a formal apology…" She whispered, "I…don't have the strength to move…..please…I'm begging you…just go….."

"No." He said, "I'll just have to take this guy myself."

"No…Natsu, you…you don't know who you're up against….you don't know how to defeat him…" She whispered.

"So…you're saying that if I don't know, then I can't win?"

"Please….Natsu….just take my advice…" Tears streamed down her face from one of her eyes.

"I don't know much about you either, when it gets down to it."

"What….?" She asked, her eyes screwing in confusion, "That's neither here nor-"

Natsu heaved her up, giving her a swift punch to her stomach, "But I'm going to win!" He declared as she lost consciousness.

Jellal cocked an eyebrow, "You're even more outrageous than the rumors say. What sort of sick pleasure can you derive from striking an ally who couldn't even move?"

"I don't think you got room to talk about sick pleasures there, pal." Natsu glared at him, "I don't ever want to see Erza like that again. I don't know what the hell you did to break her, but trust me, you're going to pay for it! I'm going to take you down so she can be her old self again!" He said as he flared up.

"How interesting." Jellal said, "Then come and show me the power of a dragon slayer, if you wish."

Natsu gave a bellowing roar, running up to Jellal and punching him in the face with his flaming fist, and then a second time, next, as Jellal was steadying himself, Natsu spread his arms out, "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" He cut through Jellal with a fierce pair of flaming wings, "Fire Dragon's Talons!" He kicked him next with his flaming feet, and once Jellal was rolling helplessly on the ground, Natsu leapt in the air, taking a deep breath, "Fire Dragon's Roar!" He spit a flaming breath at Jellal, causing another explosion to blow off of the man. As Natsu landed, there was an obscene amount of smoke everywhere.

When the smoke finally cleared, Jellal tossed his cloak off, "Well, that was a rather cute display, are you done?"

Natsu scowled at him, those were his best attacks, and they did nothing?

"I hope I would've had a good taste of dragon slayer magic before I eliminate them from this world. If that's the best you can do, you lack the substance to back up the awe you inspire."

"What did you say?" Natsu snapped, running at him again.

"But you did interfere with my ritual." Jellal said, "And for that, I'll let you gaze upon my Heavenly Body Magic." He was bathed in a golden light, "Meteor!" He flew at Natsu at high speeds. Natsu tried to avoid the attack but Jellal slammed right into him, Natsu cried out and fell back.

He tried to devise a new strategy, but it was hopeless with Jellal repeatedly smashing into him over and over again, "You…you jerk…" He coughed, "Damn it…he's going too fast…I can't hit him just by watching him with my eyes…I'll have to use my other senses…" He closed his eyes and concentrated, "Smell…sound…maybe I can predict his movements…" He tried to zero in on the zooming Jellal, "There you are!" He aimed a punch at Jellal, but he avoided it again, "What, he's even faster now!"

"None of your attacks will ever strike me again!" Jellal laughed as he kept pelting Natsu with more and more meteor strikes, "Now to finish it…" He fly in the sky, aiming at Natsu's bloodied body, "I'll show you what true destructive magic is!" Jellal held two fingers out, placing that hand in an open palm below him, "May the seven stars pass judgement on you! Grand Chariot!"

A blazing bright array of starts flew down and smacked into the top of the tower, most of them smashed right into Natsu. Natsu gave a piercing yell and he fell over from the intensity of the attack.

Jellal slowly floated to the ground, "Being hit by an attack like that is similar to being hit by a falling meteor…I'm surprised his body is still in one piece…" He looked around at all the holes in his tower, "But I must admit that I've overdone it a bit. It wouldn't be good for the R-System to sustain any more damage. I can feel its magic power trying to leak out. We must hurry." He looked at Erza's fallen body, "Right, Erza?" A dark grin spread on his face.

A few pebbles were tossed by Jellal's boots, one after another. Jellal's gaze darkened, until he looked over at Natsu, the source of where the little crystal pebbles were coming from.

"This tower…this crystal…" Natsu rasped as he stood up, "I guess attacking it would be pretty bad, right?" He flared up one of his fists, "Then today is not your lucky day!" He punched the tower, causing the ground to shatter a bit.

"Stop that at once!" Jellal snapped.

"Breaking things is a pretty basic concept to anyone in Fairy Tail…" Natsu said, "I'm all fired up now, more than I've ever been before!"

"I won't let you destroy this tower!" Jellal said, as veins cropped up on his forehead.

* * *

 **A/N:** Classic Natsu strategy 1: break things. Strategy 2? Find out in the next chapter ;) Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N:** Here's chapter forty! Don't be dismayed, it may look a tad shorter than usual, but it's just as action packed as the others. Hope you like it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"I will destroy you." Jellal said lowly, "I'll thrust you straight into the depths of hell for even suggesting such an idea!"

"One thing I know is that I can take lots of punishment." Natsu grinned, "So if you wanna take me down, go ahead and try!"

Jellal launched flurry after flurry of dark pulses at Natsu, but Natsu was too evasive to be hit, if anything, the tower was taking more damage from all of his misses.

"Come and get me!" Natsu taunted.

Jellal fired off more black shadowy skulls, but they missed as well. The ones that did hit hardly seemed to faze him.

"What's the matter? Are you so afraid of breaking your tower that you're holding back against me?" Natsu smiled, "Cause I can't feel a thing!"

"You'll regret those words!" Jellal blasted Natsu in the chest with a dark ball of magic. Natsu coughed up blood and fell back.

As Erza came back into consciousness, she watched Natsu get hit, "Natsu, no!"

Natsu gave a low growl, forming a fireball in both hands, "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" He threw it against the floor, sending crystals shattering everywhere.

"He's directing his aim at the tower…" Erza said slowly, a smile creeping on her face.

Jellal's anger intensified as more and more veins popped out on his head, "I spent eight long years constructing this tower! I'm not going to stand lazily by and watch you take it away from me!" He crossed his two arms high in the air, "You will die, dragon slayer!"

A sinister hiss filled the air, the mere activation of Jellal's spell blew both Natsu and Erza back quite a ways, "What…what is this magic…?" Natsu asked, "It's giving me the creeps…"

"He's making the light turn to darkness and the dark turn to light…" Erza said, "I've only heard of this sort of magic, but…it makes sense for him…"

"Embrace the darkness, Natsu Dragneel!" Jellal said as a vicious black portal opened up above his arms.

Erza dove in the way, standing in front of Natsu with her arms out, "Go on, use it, I dare you." She challenged. As Jellal gave her a hesitant look, she continued, "Zeref needs a sacrifice, doesn't he?"

He hesitated, "Yes…a very important condition is that the body of said sacrifice is equal to power to a Wizard Saint. But I can save that for later, for now, both of you will perish together!"

"Erza! Get outta the way!" Natsu screamed, as the deathly portal grew bigger.

"Turn away, Natsu." Erza urged as she stared Jellal dead on. Either adrenaline was keeping her from feeling any fear, or something else she couldn't quite place.

"Don't do it!"

"Heavenly Body Magic…Altairis!" Jellal launched the dark cannon forth, it went straight for Erza.

"Erza!" Natsu yelled, but it was to no avail, the beam was already within inches of her face.

However, a _third_ figure jumped in front of the both of them. A large burly body took the hit head on, standing tall despite the overwhelming amount of pressure, when the smoke cleared, the man panted heavily, putting a hand on his chest and doing everything he could to reduce his weak wheezing.

"Simon!" Erza ran forward to his side as she saw him fall.

"Erza…" Simon coughed as he fell back.

Jellal gave a snicker, "I had no idea that insect was still scampering around my tower…"

"Why didn't you escape with the others!?" She demanded, resorting to anger to filter her sadness, as she usually did.

"I…I'm so glad…" Simon choked, "That I was able to help you…I knew that…someday…I'd be useful to you…"

"Don't talk like that." Erza urged, her hands on his chest, "Just focus on your breathing, don't try to speak or you'll overexert yourself."

"You…you were always so sweet…so kind…" Simon teared up, his feelings for her burned inside him, as well as the pain of his life slowly fading away. He closed his eyes with a smile on his face, his breathing gradually slowed to a stop.

"Simon!" Erza wailed to the sky, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Jellal laughed, putting a hand on his head, "How pathetic! What a waste of my time! They call that 'dying in vain' don't they? This changes nothing! No matter what you do, nobody is leaving this tower alive!"

"Shut up!" Natsu punched Jellal with such force that he flattened him, he was chewing on something hard, something that didn't quite agree with his teeth.

"Natsu…" Erza's blurry vision cleared up when she heard the sharp chewing sounds, "…what…what are you…"

"He's…eating Etherion…!" Jellal's eyes grew wide with a combination of fear and wonder.

Natsu gave a bloodthirsty roar, as his eyes glowed blue and every vein on his body pushed themselves out to be noticed. An unimaginable amount of magic energy was flowing off of him. He ate a bit more, and then he choked, crying out in pain and grabbing his neck.

"Natsu, you can't eat that!" She cried out, "Ethernanos is infused with all sorts of magic! Your body can only take in fire magic!"

Jellal watched Natsu choke on the ground pathetically, no longer frightened, and only slightly amused, "What, does he think he can just power up with any magical element even if it isn't fire? Well, if he keeps it up, he'll just kill himself for me…"

Natsu growled with a boiling rage, a bright orange dragon of flames forming behind him, with a legendary glow around it.

"No….he couldn't have…" Jellal swallowed hard.

"This is all your fault!" Natsu sprinted forward and punched Jellal in the face, "You ruined Erza's life!" He punched him through multiple stories of the tower, "I'll end it now!"

"Meteor!" Jellal dove out of his attack before he could be knocked into more crystal floors, he began to fly for the sky, "You'll never be able to keep up with me!"

Natsu cloaked himself in fire, not only catching up to Jellal but surpassing him as he punched him further into the sky, Jellal coughed up a massive amount of blood.

"Impossible!" He grunted, "I cannot be defeated! It's my destiny to create a world of freedom!" He closed his eyes, begrudgingly thinking back to all the times he was whipped, all the times slavery held its grasp around him, "In my hour of need, Lord Zeref whispered to me many things! He asked me if I wanted _true_ freedom! I'm the only one who can sense Lord Zeref's presence! I am the chosen one! Together with Zeref, I will create a nation of true freedom!"

"How can you even think about making a world of freedom by taking all the freedom from everybody else?! Tell me!" Natsu roared like a primal beast.

Jellal levitated in the sky, his confident smirk back on his face, "Only the will to change will alter history! How can you fools not understand that?" He drew a large complicated design in front of him, one that looked very familiar, specifically during the Phantom Lord war.

"An Abyss Break…why would he risk everything like that?" Erza gasped.

"I'll build another tower in eight years…no, I can easily do it in half the time…" Jellal said, "Zeref, just wait a bit longer!"

He froze, feeling a dull, yet numbing pain on his chest. It was from the very first attack of the match, or at least the very first attack he was hit with. When Erza pinned him down, she first immobilized him by striking his chest with the butt of her sword. The blow seemed to be taking more of an effect now, with all of his muscles fatigued. He winced as his Abyss Break faded from sight and he began to fall. But a smile soon spread unto his face, if Erza had used her blade to attack his chest rather than the butt of her sword, she couldn't easily split his heart in two, "How ironic…" He mused with a cough.

"You'll never get your freedom that way!" Natsu flew up towards him, "Not as long as you're controlled by a spirit! The first thing you gotta do is free yourself!" The last part of Natsu's lecture could barely be heard under the sound of Jellal screaming and flying down into the tower due to the impact of Natsu's punch. The tower cracked and exploded with the force of Jellal's body driving through it, causing it to slowly but surely collapse. As Natsu landed safely on the ground, Erza could faintly see red dragon scales on his face, they dotted his face like acne or freckles.

"He….defeated him….he singlehandedly defeated Jellal…my eight year battle…over…" Erza panted.

As the battle worn Natsu fell to his knees, Erza rushed over and caught him in her arms, holding him close and smiling. His shallow breathing remained steady, "You're truly amazing, Natsu…" She squeezed him a bit tighter, then her eyes snapped open as the tower started to crumble.

* * *

"The tower…it's unstable now…it looks like it's gonna blow any second…" Gray said.

"It's holding too much magic power…" Happy said, "Anything holding that much wouldn't be able to handle it."

"But…we're so damn close to it…we gotta skedaddle!" Wally said.

"But what about sister! And the others!" Shô hissed.

The Emerald Knight looked ahead, crossing his arms, "Their fate may already be sealed…I suggest a hasty retreat…"

"Not until we're sure they're dead." Elspeth said. "I need proof. Until then I'm not leaving."

"Proof…?" Juvia asked quietly, the disturbing image of Erza and Natsu's lifeless bodies haunted her consciousness, "No, they can't be…."

"If we stay here we'll get blown up too." Gray said.

"Get this boat as far away from here as possible." The Emerald Knight said.

"But…what if they need us?" Elspeth asked, her cool tone starting to sound a little heated.

"We're in too much danger to get any closer." Gray said.

She gave a dry sigh and sat down on the raft, watching the tower from afar.

* * *

"This wound is terrible, Makarov, I'm not sure what you expect me to do." Porlyusica spoke to the Master as they stood in the woods before her house.

Erza adjusted her eyepatch before a maple leaf fell from the tree above and landed in her hair. She let the Master and Porlyusica speak, she felt there was no need to butt in. She had a feeling she'd never get her sight back anyway.

"Do what you can, alright?" The Master said, now loud enough for Erza to hear, "As long as we'll be able to see a pretty face when she grows up."

Porlyusica raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you plan on keeping her around for your own warped enjoyment."

"Of course not." He said, crossing his arms, "I'm offended you could even accuse me of something so heartless."

She rolled her eyes, then turned to young Erza, "Why don't you head inside and take a seat, I'll be there in a moment. I have to gather materials." She fibbed.

Erza nodded and rushed inside, wanting to explore the countless curiosities, but deciding to restrain herself for now.

Outside, Porlyusica looked back at Makarov, "How'd she get caught in your heartstrings?"

"Do you recall Rob?"

"Of course. I'm just as old as you are, it's not like my memory is completely failing."

He disregarded the additional comment, "Apparently he had been taking care of her."

"Has he? Where is he then?"

Makarov let a beat or two pass before he said, "Dead. According to the girl."

Porlyusica's eyes drifted to a leaf falling to the ground, "Where is our time going, Makarov?" She asked softly.

"It's going too damn fast." He muttered, "Before you know it, we'll blink and she'll be grown up."

"If you don't get her killed in that crazed guild of yours."

Makarov grinned proudly and chuckled, "She'll be fine. Tough cookie."

"You'd better hope so." She turned around, "I'll see what I can do for her comfort, not your approval."

He wafted a hand, "Fine, fine."

After Porlyusica went inside, she took the eyepatch off of Erza and wrapped bandages around her instead, casting some sort of spell on her. It took about an hour, if Erza had to guess, but she had dozed off once or twice, so she wasn't sure if that was entirely accurate. It wasn't until Porlyusica removed the bandages and handed her a mirror that she really felt lively again.

"Does that feel any better?"

Erza blinked a few times as she clasped the hand-mirror and looked at her reflection. A smile spread across her face as her eye shined right back down, "It's…perfect…."

"Does it work?"

She nodded quickly, "I can't believe you fixed it…"

"Yes, yes, now leave quickly. I don't like humans."

Tears dribbled out of one of her eyes, but considering the grin that was on her face, they had to be tears of happiness.

Porlyusica raised an eyebrow, "Now that's odd…." She went to her textbook, "You can only cry out of one of them…I didn't make the medicine wrong, did I?"

"No matter." Erza said, _I've cried enough for half a lifetime anyway._

* * *

Erza's eyes slowly opened as she looked around, hearing the splashing of feet running towards her. "Where…where am I?" She looked out at the ocean, feeling like she was living in a dream.

"You're alright!" The Emerald Knight called.

"Why'd you have to go and worry us like that?" Gray joked.

"Sister!" Shô said.

"What happened?" She asked as Shô ran over. She looked up, seeing Natsu carrying her, he gently set her down, "Natsu…you…saved me…" All the memories came rushing back, "But how…?"

"It was the strangest thing…what was left of the Etherion sort of…faded from sight…" Gray said.

"It matters not to me, I'm just pleased that you're both alright."

"Erza…Gray…" Natsu said, "You guys both nearly killed yourselves…with Jellal and Lyon…you were willing to give your lives up…" He narrowed his eyes, "Never do that again! You hear me?"

"Of course…." Erza squeezed him, "Thank you. Dying for your friends isn't right…you have to live for them…" She said, as both eyes lined with tears, soon streaming down her face, "Thanks to all of you…I'll never make such foolish mistakes ever again…"

"You too, Ant." Natsu shot a look at the Emerald Knight.

"When did I ever try to kill myself?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"You jumped off a building, remember?"

"Oh…yes, that…" He sighed, "Yes sir, it will never happen again." He then smiled, "I wouldn't trade the lot of you for the world."

* * *

 **A/N:** And thus ends the era of Erza's bitchiness. She'll be a lot more pleasant now, not saying she won't be a badass, she'll be a bit sweeter now. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N:** Here's chapter forty-one! (Double upload? Eh, debatable…) This chapter has a bit of fluff, but then I'll get down to business with the Battle of Fairy Tail arc. This chapter contains one of my favorite scenes in the saga, hope you like it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

The team from Fairy Tail were resting and recovering from their injuries in a hotel room, the same hotel where this entire mess started arguably. Natsu was sleeping on the bed, snoring loudly, as he was the one who went through the most, next to Erza.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Gray wondered.

"He's been sleeping for three days straight…" The Emerald Knight remarked.

"Let him rest. He essentially poisoned himself by eating all that ethernano." Erza said, wearing dozens of bandages.

"I can't believe he went and ate Etherion…that's just crazy…" Gray muttered.

"Yes he is….really, he's a hypocrite…" She said, recalling his advice he gave her, Gray and the Emerald Knight, "Anyway, I apologize for getting you all involved in my problems." She said, then she looked up, "…and…Gray…" It seemed she was struggling for words.

Gray gave her an inquisitive look, wondering why she ended her statement with his name.

The Emerald Knight had a much happier countenance on, "Now, now, don't speak like that. We've all been involved in each other's troubles more times than we can care to count. It's no different this time."

She shook her head, "My words and actions to Gray were simply unacceptable. I don't expect an apology now or ever, I just deemed it necessary to express my…regret…" She looked back up at Gray, "I've been unforgiving with how I've treated you, but I'll never do it again."

"What?" Gray asked, "Look, forget about that. Me and the rest of us didn't know that you were dealing with _this_ on the side…besides, I broke the rules…you shouldn't have to apologize for reprimanding me, it's all cool."

"Thank you Gray…" She smiled, looking like she could tear up soon. She took a shaky breath and looked outside at the sunny weather, "Where did that girl go? The previous member of the Element Four? Juvia was her name, right?"

"She went home." Gray said, "She wanted to get to Fairy Tail as soon as possible to plead her case with the Master."

"Is that so….? If only I would have known, I would have tried to persuade the Master as well. She was quite helpful earlier, no?"

The Emerald Knight gave a nod, "I enjoyed working alongside her, she is very capable at what she does. Not to mention how well our elements work with one another, it makes us a very good team."

"Shouldn't you get some rest, Erza?" Gray asked, "You took almost as much damage as Natsu did…"

"Oh, it looks worse than it actually is." She said, "It's nothing to worry about." _Truth be told, I should be thankful I'm even alive._

"Well, at least you're more responsible about it…" Gray sighed, "Not like some idiot who ate freaking Etherion…"

Natsu sat up, "Say that again and I'll smack ya!" He shouted.

"You're awake!" Happy cheered, but just as he said that, Natsu fell back asleep.

"That punk woke up just to pick a fight with me?" Gray snapped, but everyone else thought the exchange was hilarious and they burst out laughing.

* * *

Later that day, Erza was outside on the beach with her three old friends, "Uh…listen Erza…I'm really sorry…" Wally started.

"Please forgive us." Elspeth said softly.

"I should be apologizing for doing nothing for eight years." Erza said.

"Sister, you were threatened by Jellal. You stayed away because he would kill us if you came back, right?" Shô said.

"Now, that sounds like nothing more than an excuse. If I had stayed longer…Simon…"

"Simon was a true man, Erza!" Wally said, "He wanted to protect you, for so long…"

"I know how Simon felt. And I know how I made you feel by leaving you. But it's time we all move forward. For Simon's sake."

Shô nodded, "I agree."

"It's like he never left our side." Elspeth said with a slight smile upon her dark lips.

"I couldn't go on if that wasn't true…damn it…" Wally said.

"Let's let these shadows stay behind us, and step towards the light instead. They may follow us around, but they'll give us strength as long as we don't succumb to them, right?" Erza asked.

"Step towards…the light…" Wally repeated slowly.

Elspeth sighed, "A path I can never follow." She said softly, "Erza, listen, it's different for us. You have a guild, a family and friends. We're…" She paused, "We're new to the world…we've just lived in this tower…how can you be sure we won't go out and get ourselves killed?"

"Why not join our guild then?" Erza asked.

"Fairy Tail?" Wally asked.

"There's no way they would let us in, Erza, we're not…that caliber…" Elspeth said.

"Please, there are wizards in there who you double in power, if that's what you're worried about. Fairy Tail would offer you freedom and safety. Two things you've been searching for your entire life." Erza said.

"Isn't that kinda like what Salamander said after he pounded us?" Wally looked at Elspeth.

"Certainly sounds familiar." She agreed in her quiet voice.

"If you join, we could always be together." Erza smiled and turned around, "We should head back now. I'll give you and Natsu a formal introduction."

"Describe me as the world's best dandy, okay?" Wally asked.

"Alright." Erza chuckled as they started walking. _"You've gotten stronger, Erza."_ She heard a voice in her head. _Jellal?…you…couldn't have died…could you? Is it wrong if I want you here with them?_

* * *

The Emerald Knight's front door opened, Erza barged in, wearing street clothes and bandages, something he still wasn't used to. "Ant, have you seen Shô?"

"…I haven't…" He said, blinking a few times at her sudden entrance.

"Dammit." Erza clenched her fist, "He should be in a hotel room with the others, but we can't find him anywhere."

He thought for a moment or two, "You don't think he and the others left without saying goodbye, do you?"

"Perhaps? It's hard to say, I almost…don't know him anymore, since we haven't seen each other in so long…"

"Should we start a search…where would we even begin to look?"

Erza stared at the floor in thought, then ran for the door, "Tell Natsu and Gray to prepare the fireworks!"

* * *

"I wonder if we can make it in the outside world…" Wally said, he, Elspeth, and Shô were by the shore with the same little boat they used to escape the Tower of Heaven.

"I doubt it." Elspeth said, picking the petals from a black rose.

"We'll have to try." Shô said, "I don't want us to be a burden to sister any more than we have been!" He slowly began to shove the boat into the water, "We have to hurry before Erza or any of her friends see us!"

"Right, we'll figure the rest out later!" Wally said.

Elspeth bit the vines that were keeping the boat on shore, "We're ready to go."

"You three." A deep voice called from behind.

"Sister!" Shô gasped at seeing Erza.

"Speak of the devil…" Wally gulped.

Shô frowned, "If you're here to stop us, then you can't. We decided to leave together by ourselves. We spent all our lives in that tower. This is our first time in the outside world. There are so many things we don't understand yet, but at the same time, we want to see those things with our own eyes. Relying on other people to survive is the last thing we want to do! And we will never live and serve anyone either. From now on, we'll live for ourselves! We aim to do things with our own strength!" He smiled, tears in his eyes, "That's what freedom means to us."

"Well…if you insist…" Erza smiled, "Your willpower has always been stronger than steel…I'm relieved you have something to strive for."

The other seemed to take a sigh of relief before she stood taller, "But there are conditions one needs to go through before leaving Fairy Tail. Burn these words into your heart!" She started to requip.

"Leaving…don't we have to enter a guild before we can leave it…?" Wally asked slowly.

"First!" She equipped into some sort of ceremonial armor. It looked similar to her original armor, with ornate golden designs, more iron chainmail around her royal blue skirt, and a golden scepter to top it off, "One must never reveal information that would put Fairy Tail at a disadvantage!" She called out with pride, "Second! One must never contact former Fairy Tail clients without permission in order to make a profit for one's self!"

"Does anyone know information from a client…?" Wally wondered slowly.

"Sister…" Shô teared up simply looking at Erza's expression.

"Third! You must live strong and give it your all! Even when making mistakes! You must never treat your life as worthy of anything less than the greatest respect!" Her eyes welled with tears, "And during every moment of your entire life, you must never forget the friends that you love!" She held her scepter high, "Let the Fairy Tail Send-Off Party commence!"

"Hey guys!" Natsu shouted, "Let's meet again!" He spat out little fireballs that blew up into fireworks.

"We got ice works here too!" Gray shot out some icy blue fireworks.

The Emerald Knight smiled, holding his lance up high and shooting out some small green bolts, mixing green static fireworks with the red and blue ones.

"I just…wanted you to know that we wanted you to stay here with us…but we wouldn't want to hold you back from being free either. So…go forth." Erza said through teary eyes, "Seize the day."

"But…" Elspeth's jaw was dropped, she was the only one without tears, "How can we go forth if we don't know what we're doing!? We'll get killed out there!"  
"The world is much less heartless than you'd think." Erza said, "There's a path for all of you. Even you, Elspeth. And if you get lost or scared…I'll always be here."  
Elspeth looked away, biting her lip as she shook with emotion.

"I'll never forget any of you." Erza said, "Any painful memories I have of you today will serve as nourishment that makes me a stronger person tomorrow! The same can be said for all of us! So walk strong, and I will join you! As long as you don't forget this day, we will meet again! Farewell, and take care!"

"You too sister!" Shô cried.

"We _will_ meet again, that's a promise, get it?" Wally sniffed.

"It's a promise!"

* * *

"Holy crap…" Gray swallowed hard.

"Is this our guild?" Natsu asked.

"…I'm speechless…" The Emerald Knight said.

The building was at least three floors, not including the bell tower that displayed the flag at the top. It had to at least double in size, built from the strongest wooden materials and stones. Fairy gargoyles rested on the new fence posts that proudly displayed the Fairy Tail sign, as well as a few colorful flags that were posted on other floors. Thick windows framed with ornate glass patters glistened in the sun, as well as the torches that were lit around the building.

"It's huge." Erza said, "I suppose we should head in and hope not to get lost."

"I don't like it…" Natsu muttered.

The Emerald Knight's eyes widened as they went inside, "My word…they really took their time refurbishing the building, didn't they?"

"I'll say." Gray said, "An open-air café…a gift shop…this is crazy…everything's so much better than it was before!"

"No it's not." Natsu muttered.

"Ant!" A scream was heard, before in nearly lightning speed, the Emerald Knight was tackled from behind, "Took you long enough, metal-head!" Cana pounded on his helmet, "I was starting to think you got killed out there!"

The Emerald Knight blushed, "Well…we were entangled…in quite a dangerous project…I'm sorry…"

She giggled and squeezed him from the front, kissing his cheek, "Come check out the guild hall. It's great, you'll love it." She tugged him along.

The Emerald Knight went even redder, he was pretty sure that was the first time Cana kissed him in the guildhall.

"Wait a minute…" Gray said, "Are you guys…?" He pointed at the Emerald Knight and Cana.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, "Yes…it's true…we're…courting…"

"Pretty sure people say dating nowadays…but whatever."

"Hmm…" Natsu squinted at the pair, "I wonder what your babies are gonna look like…"

"Natsu!" The Emerald Knight snapped, "We wouldn't just…have babies right away…"

"Yeah Natsu, don't you know how it works? You gotta find the stork if you wanna have a baby!" Happy pointed out.

"Yes. Yes exactly." The Emerald Knight said quickly, in a hasty effort to cover his rear, "We'll need to find the stork first. That might take ages."

"Not so sure I ever want to find the stork." Cana said, then with a sly smile she added quietly, "I wouldn't mind the baby-making process without the stork…"

The Emerald Knight's eyes quickly flashed up to make sure nobody heard. Nobody seemed to respond, but the color on Erza's cheeks begged to differ. She was quick to change the subject, "Cana, you seem to know quite a bit about the guild, being that you were here during the renovation. If you would kindly show us around."

"Sure thing." Cana said, walking in front of them, "This way is the main hall, with an added stage."

"I must say, I approve."

"I don't like it…" Natsu muttered.

"This way-" Cana started.

"Ant! Erza! Natsu and Gray!" Levy called, they turned to see a pool in the back, dozens of members inside. Levy ran over in a striped bikini, "It's so nice to see you're all back!"

"Look at that, Lev, we're almost twinning." Cana smiled as she pulled on the strap of her top.

Levy took a peek at her own top, then looked back at Cana, "Well…that's part of your normal wardrobe…this is my bathing suit…"

"And?"

She sighed, "Never mind."

"Holy crap…a swimming pool…" Gray said.

"I don't like it…" Natsu muttered.

"Would you stop saying that?" Gray snapped.

"I don't like change! It's too different for me!"

"Yeah, I guess you hate fighting owls too, considering you were eaten by one." Gray gave a snicker, "And if it wasn't for _me_ , you would've had your ass handed to ya."

"Aw, shut up you!" Natsu and Gray tackled each other.

"A carnivorous owl?" The Emerald Knight mused, "I suppose the Tower of Heaven was more terrifying than I was lead to believe…"

"So what else has changed?" Erza asked in attempt to split up the conflict between Gray and Natsu.

"There's a kickass bar and pool table downstairs." Cana said, "My new lair, what I like to think."

"And the second floor is so much better." Levy said, "Anyone's allowed up there!"

"Laxus must hate that." The Emerald Knight said dryly.

"Well, looks like you kiddies made it back!" Makarov chuckled, Gray's eyes widened, but it was because of the girl who was walking at Makarov's side, "Our newest member, Juvia Lockser! Ain't she cute?"

"Gray, I made it!" Juvia ran up and squeezed him, "Isn't that great?" She now donned a white dress with a blue corset around it, as well as white opera gloves. The dress reached a bit past her knees, with blue water-like designs at the bottom. Her boots were white with blue accents, same with her hat. The curls in her hair had been cut off, now it was much shorter.

"Yeah, that's great!" Gray smiled, "You look nice." He said, turning her face a shade of bright red, she mumbled something about getting married as well.

The Emerald Knight smiled, "It's a pleasure to have you in our guild."

"Thank you so much for your help in the Tower of Heaven." She said with a smile.

"I also have another new member to introduce." Makarov said.

"Another new member?" Happy mirrored, looking at the nearby table, where someone was quickly gobbling down some iron scraps.

"Him…you gotta be kidding." Gray swallowed hard.

The Emerald Knight went pale. He could hear his own heartbeat, not to mention feel himself shiver within his armor.

"Gajeel?" Natsu roared, "Why him?"

"Yeah Master, it doesn't make any sense!" Gray said.

"Come now, he was acting under Jose's orders. They say yesterday's enemy can be today's friend." Makarov said.

Levy held one of the Emerald Knight's arms, hiding behind him. Cana held his other arm, her eyes softening a bit, "Hey, it's alright, the Master wouldn't stand around and let someone in who'd hurt you."

"Trust me, he's a friend of mine." Juvia said, "It was me who recommended we invite him as well."

"Gajeel!" Natsu charged at him, "I don't know what you have planned, but I don't trust you at all!"

"Relax." Gajeel stood up and glared at him, "I ain't here to make friends pal, you got it? I'm only here for work. I don't give a crap about this stupid guild or anyone in it, I'm just going to do my work and that'll be the end of it."

"You're gonna pay for saying that!" Natsu said.

Surprisingly the next deafening roar wasn't from Natsu at all, it was from the Emerald Knight. He charged forward with his lance out, giving a savage scream. No one had ever heard him put so much emotion into a single move, let alone anger. His lance sparked and crackled with lightning as he pointed it at Gajeel. Everyone stared at the Emerald Knight, surprised as he was always mild-mannered when it came to these things, but not today.

Gajeel narrowed his eyes, "Jeez, you're even smaller than I remember…got something on your mind?"

Veins twisted their way on the Emerald Knight's face, he had a horrid scowl on his face, "I refuse to let you stay here…" His eyes were wide, with anger and even a bit of fear, "I will never allow it!"

"Oh, is that right?" Gajeel snickered, "What are you gonna do about it, small stuff? We all know a fight would end terribly for ya."

"Oh, I'd _love_ a fight with you." The Emerald Knight said, to everyone's surprise, "I'd _love_ to fight you with my armor on. Did you already forget that you beat me with my armor off?" He gave a dark smile, "It seems you can only surpass me when I've been ridiculously handicapped!"

"…the hell you just say?" Gajeel clenched his fists.

"Both of you will be quiet, this instant." Juvia stood between them, "Mister Emerald Knight." She said, a name he was still adjusting to, surprisingly, "Gajeel is my friend. He is here on my account. And most importantly, he is now family. If there is a problem with that, you should take it up with me, not him." She said, before turning to Gajeel, "Gajeel, I'm disappointed. It's one thing to argue with someone who pushes your buttons, but a new low to allow such an act to serve as your first impression."

Cana rubbed the Emerald Knight's arm, "It's alright, honey, don't worry about him too much, okay? Like he said, he's just here for jobs. I doubt he'll even be hanging around the guild that much at all, right?" She shot a glare at Gajeel.

"Don't you go and get involved in this." Juvia caught the look Cana cast, "That's a mistake not worth making."

Cana snickered, "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it? It's great that you wanna protect your boyfriend and everything, but he's a threat at this point, he shouldn't even be allowed here. Face it, you're the only one here who wants him here."

"On the contrary, the Master agrees with me. And from what I understand, the Master's word is final. Or is that different in this guild?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You've been here for one day, doll face, don't go prancing around like you know everything. You were in a dark guild before, that's shit compared to this guild. Welcome to real life, honey, you gotta start at the bottom rung of the ladder, not the top. Kiss the Master's ass all you want, you have no say in this situation."

"Cana." Erza said, "That's enough."

"Tch." She rolled her eyes and squeezed the Emerald Knight's arm.

The Emerald Knight sheathed his lance and closed his eyes, "Forgive me…this was not my intention." It was hard to tell who that was aimed to, especially since Gajeel had lumbered off somewhere else at this point. What the hell did he just do? If he didn't know any better, he almost successfully divided the guild in two.

"It's the job of us veterans to take youngsters who've lost their way to set them on the right path." Makarov said, "He's a good person at heart…at least, I strongly believe that."

Juvia gave a dubious look at Cana, then her eyes softened at the Emerald Knight, "I apologize if I offended you, Mister Emerald Knight." She bowed.

"Too late for that." Cana crossed her arms, "You realize what your boyfriend did to him?"

"I understand my _friend_ has made some rash choices, but as the Master said, he is a good person at heart." Her eyes darted to Gray, hoping he wasn't getting the wrong impression about her and Gajeel. "He will change, I assure you. Especially in a place like this. I thought this environment would make a good impact on his life."

Cana gave her an uneasy look, then looked at the Emerald Knight, "We should go ask Mira for some tea."

"I don't know about that…" Levy said quietly, pointing to the stage, where Mirajane was standing.

The Emerald Knight blinked at the stage, "I had forgotten that there was a stage…"

"Yes…" Erza sighed as she sat down, still a bit unsettled about the argument. The lights soon dimmed down, her eyes looked around nervously.

"Are the light lacrima malfunctioning?" Juvia looked around.

"No, it's for the performance." Levy said, looking to the stage where Mirajane was sitting.

A guitar on her lap and a microphone lacrima before her, she gave a smile, "I thought I'd sing a little song, if that's alright." She strummed her guitar to tune it.

The crowd burst out in cheering, a lot of it from the male voices in the guild.

She started to play a slow and melodic song, for those who followed the lyrics she sang, it seemed to be about the singer missing someone they loved who had gone away.

Cana closed her eyes, then smiled at the Emerald Knight, "This is how I felt about you when you went out on that job." She put her hand on top of his as it was resting on the table.

The Emerald Knight gave a small smile back, he put a hand on her cheek and he briefly kissed her lips, his cheeks flushing as he did so, "I apologize for being away for so long, I'll fill you in on it later."

"Uh huh, can't wait." She said with a smile, her cheeks a tad pink as well.

"Your sister has a lovely voice." Juvia looked up at Elfman, hoping she was right about their relationship.

"Yeah, she got her voice from a real man…" He said, in his head this definitely sounded much sweeter, but it left poor Juvia utterly confused.

The next act featured Gajeel in a pure white suit with a snazzy hat and a pair of shades, "Wrote a little tune I call 'Best Friend!' Hope you like it."

"Gajeel?" Natsu asked as the audience's jaws dropped.

"Sparkling colors…Shubidobah! Caught my eye-

"Aw, what the hell is this song, it sucks! Bring Mira back on!" Natsu snapped.

Gajeel grabbed the harmonica he had nearby and he started screeching through it.

"You wanna go pal?"

To answer, he spat the harmonica in Natsu's face.

"I've had enough Shubido!" Natsu snapped, as the two began a brawl.

"It's Shubidobah, you moron!" It wasn't long until practically then entire guild got involved in the brawl.

* * *

Gajeel stood outside in the park, the same park where he attacked Team Shadow Gear, he was confronted by two figures, "Alright, you guys called me out here, let's hear why. I got a job I have to get to."

"Job? That's cute." Jet said, "Like you have any right to get a job in our guild."

"If you just need work, go to another guild. We don't want you." Droy said.

"Why are you guys being so petty about this?" Gajeel asked, "The geezer pretty much made it ancient history, right?"

"Jet, Droy, stop!" They heard a tiny voice behind the tree that would have been much more authoritative if it didn't crack and whimper in the end, before softly adding, "I…I…moved on from that…"

They both ignored her, tuning her out entirely, "We're here to settle this." Jet said.

"If we let you stay here, it'll be a shame on Fairy Tail." Droy said.

As Gajeel gave nothing but a smug grin, Jet flew forward using his speed magic, "This is your last chance for any of your smartass remarks!"

As Gajeel took the hit head on, Droy reared back and launched his arm back, seeds covered the ground, "Final Seed Attack!" Droy called as vines sprouted from the ground and formed fists, punching Gajeel all over, "Knuckle Plant!"

Jet skidded back, then took a few more quick steps and kicked him right in the chest, knocking him back considerably, "Falcon Heavenward!"

Levy's nails dug into the bark of the tree as she winced, watching him land in the dirt, "Guys…" She said softly.

Jet sneered as Gajeel wiped sweat from his brow, "What the hell are you doing, why aren't you fighting back?"

"I thought you were a good fighter, or was it just a lie?" Droy said.

"What's going on here?" An extremely smooth and deep voice asked, "You guys picking on the newbie?"

"Shit, Laxus!?" Droy stumbled back, Levy's eyes widened even more.

"I get it, this is the little punk who did a number on our guild, right?" Laxus growled, taking full advantage of the fact that everyone was staring at him like students caught red-handed by the strictest most feared teacher in the school, Gajeel covered in dirt and scuffs on the ground certainly didn't help, "This is why people are laughing at us!" He snapped, his voice now razor sharp, "I'm sick and tired of the old man recruiting shit like you just so you won't attack the guild anymore! I got a better idea." Laxus held a single finger out, and a huge bolt of lightning smashed into Gajeel, who cried out in pain as he lit up, "I'll give you a new home, how about instead of our guild hall, which was too good for you in the first place, I take you underground, where you can lay there all you want!" He hit him again and again with a bolt of lightning.

Jet shivered, "Alright, Laxus, cut it out…"

"You're going too far!" Droy added.

Levy covered her mouth as Gajeel laid on the ground, not even bothering to try to get up, "He…wants to be seen as one of us…" She said to herself softly, "He's just…going to take all their anger and not fight back….." Tears welled up in her eyes, "He'll die like this…"

"You're the entire reason everyone laughs at us!" Laxus screamed, kicking him with a foot shrouded in lightning, Gajeel struggled not to cough up blood with each kick, "Why won't you just die already! You'll be set as an example for all the others who dare sully our name!"

Jet shook even more, "Laxus, shut up and quit it already, you'll kill him!"

"Silence!" Laxus lashed a hand out and blasted a powerful bolt of lightning, headed right for Jet, "I don't take any orders from you!"

Jet's eyes widened as he ducked out of the way, the bolt then headed right for Levy instead.

Levy gasped and held her arms out in front of her face, watching the dazzling ray of lighting head right towards her, time seemed to slow down. She closed her eyes and hoped her death would at least be quick.

She was surprised to see that the light faded without any pain to her at all. When she looked up, she saw Gajeel in front of her, one of his arms an iron club, using it as a lightning rod of sorts.

Her eyes slowly opened, then widened, "….Gajeel…!" She was completely shocked, the only sound that filled the air was the slow drippings of blood falling from Gajeel's mouth.

"Did…he just save her life…?" Droy whispered, Jet too shocked to even say anything.

"Are you guys all finished…?" Gajeel rasped, limping away, "Cause I got work to do…"

"Gajeel-" Levy started before she was cut off.

"Leave me alone…"

"Pathetic." Laxus started stomping off, "What the hell has Fairy Tail become…when I take over the guild, things will be much different! I've reached the limits of what I can stand!" He raged as yellow lightning crackled off of him, "This means war!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Two for one, the start of one of my all-time favorite ships, and one of my favorite arcs! (You'll hear me say that a lot…) I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think with a review!


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N:** Here's chapter forty two! Nothing's more fun than sprinkling in little bits that weren't in the show or manga, giving it some added spice. Hope you like this!

* * *

The Emerald Knight's return home was the longest walk he could recall, he couldn't take the guilt. _Juvia and Cana arguing is all my fault…if I didn't make such a scene with Gajeel. Why would I even do that? I must've looked like a complete fool in the guild, now everyone's going to think that I'm crazy or something._ There wasn't much he could do to help though, every time he thought of the prospect of Gajeel being an official guild member of Fairy Tail, he would shake and get nervous.

He entered his tiny home, getting his armor off. He swallowed hard, not believing that he was _still_ shivering even though he had to have been at least _miles_ away from Gajeel at this point. To him, Gajeel just made the entire environment unsafe, the man reminded him of nothing but the humiliating beat down he suffered while they were in the gigantic Phantom machine.

"Hey Ant…" He heard Happy's voice behind him.

He jumped, "What the devil? Where did you come from?"

"I flew in through the window." Happy said, "I just wanted to make sure everything's okay."

He gave a slow nod, taking a seat at the table, "Yes, I'm fine…it was…unacceptable for me to act that way…"

"Well, if you need to talk about anything, you can talk to one of us on the team, okay?" Happy sat on the table.

He smiled. For how much Happy teased him about this and that it was nice to know that he would show concern for the Emerald Knight when he needed it, "I must say, it's rather odd to have you here without Natsu…"

"Yeah." Happy smiled, "He's still sleeping the Etherion off, I can tell he's getting a good rest by how hard he squeezes that scarf of his."

"His scarf?"

"That's right. He got it from Igneel."

The Emerald Knight nodded, he almost forgot that when he first met Natsu that he was on a journey to meet his father, the Fire Dragon Igneel. He chuckled at how much they easily got sidetracked, "Say, Happy…he'll…make a full recovery, right?"

"Yeah, he'll be fine, one time, he ate Laxus's lightning."

"That must've been an unfortunate day…"

"Mmm-hmm, when Natsu challenged Laxus, he was defeated almost instantly…"

The Emerald Knight looked ahead, "I see." He didn't doubt Laxus's power for a second, it was the attitude that really annoyed him. He couldn't help but to think how much easier Phantom Lord would have been to defeat if he was there.

"Laxus is probably the most powerful wizard in Fairy Tail." Happy said, kicking his feet back and forth, "Well, there's Erza too. And Mystogan is pretty powerful too. And a long time ago, Mira was so powerful that they called her the She-Devil."

"She-Devil?" The Emerald Knight laughed, thinking the idea absurd, "Surely, you jest!"

There was a knock on the door, The Emerald Knight got up quickly and answered it, expecting it to be someone from his team or Cana. He was quite surprised to see Mirajane on the other side of the door, "Mirajane." A faint blush went on his cheeks. _Speak of the devil._

"Hello Ant! I was dying to know where you lived. It's quite a bit like our house, actually, I like it." She looked around.

"Hi Mira!" Happy waved.

"Let me make you some tea." The Emerald Knight scurried to the back of the kitchen and got a kettle out.

"Oh, no, you don't need to make me anything. I wasn't planning on staying too long, unless you'd like me to."

"I insist, it isn't exactly a short walk here."

She gave a warm smile, "Well, I suppose that leaves no room for argument." She went into his small kitchen and sat at the little round table, "How have you been?"

His shoulders drooped, she was probably talking about the altercation with Gajeel, everyone in the guild saw it, "I've been fine, what about you?"

"That makes two of us." She said, crossing her legs, then she gave a mischievous smile, "How's Cana?"

A pause, "Fine." He said quickly.

"Is that all you're going to tell me? I didn't come here for tea and small talk, Ant." She giggled.

"I guess they're still looking for the stork." Happy spoke up.

The Emerald Knight turned deep red, "Yes…that may take years…at least…"

Mirajane laughed, "Of course, don't let Happy pressure you…I know how Cana can be. I can imagine you'll have to tame her first before you even think about living together, let alone marriage and family."

"Tame." He muttered, "That's the most accurate word I've heard for it…"

She giggled considerably, "She's grown up sort of wild without parents to curb her… _enthusiasm_ …towards certain things…"

"What ever happened to her parents anyway?" He said, setting two teacups on the table for the both of them as he sat down.

She took a sip from one of them, "I feel as though that's something you might want to talk to her about. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. It seems to be an extremely touchy subject for her."

He gave a nod, "That's a fair observation."

"Oh, I forgot why I _really_ came here. I was wondering if Cana told you if she was joining the pageant or not for the Harvest Festival." She said, then a dark grin appeared on her face, "I need to ensure there's not too much competition…."

"The…the what?"

"The Harvest Festival? Did anyone tell you what that is?"

"No."

"It's a big party here in Magnolia!" Happy said, "Fairy Tail participates in it every year."

"Yes, and one of the biggest events is the Miss Fairy Tail Contest. It's a beauty contest for all the mages in Fairy Tail." Mirajane took a sip of her tea.

"Aye! All the girls dress up real pretty!" Happy said.

The Emerald Knight took a drink of his tea, "I see. Well, that does sound like it would be up Cana's ally perhaps."

"She's entered the past few times, in fact, she might have taken third one year, I'm not sure." Mirajane said, looking at Happy, "Do you remember?"

Happy shook his head, "I know that you win a lot."

Her cheeks blushed a bit, "That's not an entirely fair assessment…" She said, "I've gotten first so many times, I'm tempted to throw the competition to allow others to win. Some of the competitors get…a little angry with me when I win every year…"

"What does the winner get?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Five-hundred thousand jewel."

His eyes went wide, "Wow…"

"While I came here to ask if Cana was joining, I was also wondering if you could help us organize it. I could see if we could pay you as well, for your services."  
"Organize it?"

"Mmm hmm…you know, help the contestants if they need it, and organize the scripts, the lighting. Nothing overwhelming."

He nodded, "I'll do it. It sounds much simpler than all the hell our team has been through recently."

"Of course." She finished her tea, "I should really go help Elf with the decorations, I told him I'd be back in five minutes." She gave a guilty giggle.

"I should get going too, I need to check on Natsu." Happy said as his wings came out.

"Farewell, you two." The Emerald Knight waved.

* * *

Deep in the forest, there was a small dark guild, known as Ghoul Spirit. At moment it was under attack, the guild members being blown to smithereens as if they were mere child's play. Three figures stood by the entrance, one-sidedly destroying any opponent in Ghoul Spirit who dared face them.

"You laughed at us, didn't you?" The center voice said in a low, studious, analytical voice. He had bright green hair that went down his back, all the bangs were shifted to the right side of his face. Two lightning bolt shaped tufts were arranged on both side on the top of his head, and his long hair ended in a short ponytail down the back. He wore a large red waistcoat with four yellow buttons on his chest, under it being a simple white collared-shirt. He wore black pants tucked inside tall white boots, with a green Fairy Tail emblem on the back of his left hand, as well as a white rapier sheathed on his belt. His blue-green eyes surveyed the scenes, "Filth like you is going to pay."

"What is this, some kind of joke?" The members of Ghoul Spirit charged at them, "Kill them all!"

"What a pain…a dark guild showing impertinence to an official guild…" A figure said, wearing an elegant emerald green dress that reached just a bit over her thighs. She wore black stockings that reached past her knees, with dark sandals that had wings on them. She donned matching green opera gloves, a crystal necklace, and a dark flower pinning her short auburn hair up to the side. The look on her face was cynical, her eyes covered by glasses as she scanned them across all the members of the dark guild. Finally, draped down from her shoulder were two silk pieces of fabric that resembled wings. Batting a fan in her face, she hid the frown on her face. "What a shame, to see the world reduced to… _this_ …" She took her glasses off and glanced at those who ran forward.

In a flash, the horde of attackers were frozen in stone the second the mysterious woman removed her glasses, causing a pause until a new wave of enemies emerged.

"You're not getting away with this! Come on, get them!" One of the Ghoul Spirit members shouted.

They were suddenly intercepted by tiny wooden states with colorful faces and tiny wings. Some of the totems would crash into the guild members while others blasted them with bright green laser beams, "What the hell are these things?" The guild members asked as they were flattened.

The owner of the totems was snickering madly, with his tongue sticking out, revealing a dark blue Fairy Tail guild mark. He wore a black hooded jacket with green sleeves, the jacket having shoulder pads with skulls on them. At the end of a hood was a metal visor, covering the man's eyes. He wore extremely baggy pants with a blue waist guard over it covered in an X-shaped pattern, his pants eventually tucked into dark boots.

"That's enough Bickslow." The center man said.

"Hmm? You mean it's already over?" Bickslow asked.

"I'm amazed they can even form a guild with members this weak…"

"Hence why they were never able to form an official guild." The woman in green fanned herself.

"But this isn't enough! My babies didn't have nearly enough fun yet!" Bickslow said, having a crazy and maniacal voice that seemed to only wish for mayhem and disarray.

"I wouldn't be too worried about that…" The man in the center said, "You may sate your taste for bloodshed soon enough…"

"Ah, I'd nearly forgotten about Laxus's idea. To think it's come to head so soon." The woman in green smiled.

"I've waiting forever for this!" Bickslow laughed, "What about you guys?" He grinned at his totems, which parroted off responses in high-pitched voices affirming their eagerness.

"A homecoming after so long…" The man in the center said, "To Fairy Tail…"

One of the defeated members of Ghoul Spirit groggily looked up from the ground, "Our entire guild…defeated by three people…no…that guy with the long hair didn't even fight…so really it was two people…I've heard of these guys…Laxus's bodyguards…the Thunder Legion!"

* * *

Laxus was brooding somewhere in the outskirts of Magnolia, watching the preparations being made for the Harvest Festival and the Fantasia Parade, "The Thunder Legion should be coming back soon…and then the Fairy cannibalism will begin…your time as Master is over, gramps!"

* * *

"I'm quite surprised at how prepared the town is for the festival this year." Makarov said, carrying a bag of groceries.

"It sure is! There's nothing I love more than the happiness shared by everyone during Fantasia. And I really can't wait for the parade, seeing faces from the entire continent smile at us makes me even prouder to be a member of Fairy Tail." Mirajane beamed, looking out at the streets as people walked by, "If only Laxus could join us…"

"Don't say things like that."

She tuned him out, "According to Levy, he's back in town already…though….I'm doubtful it has anything to do with Fantasia. Probably coincidence."

"Wait, what?"

"What's wrong?" She looked down at him.

He paused for a while, "It had to be now, didn't it…?" He took a weary sigh, his mind going back to the first Fantasia Parade he had been to with Laxus:

" _Grandpa! Aren't you going to take part in Fantasia?" The young Laxus asked, wearing a bright red tee-shirt with a lightning bolt on it, it already symbolized a turn of events in the future._

" _I promised I'd watch it with you this year." Makarov smiled._

" _Cool!" Laxus started running around, "I wanna join Fairy Tail as soon as I can!"_

" _You're still too young, you'll have to wait until you're older."_

 _Makarov and Laxus later took their places around the crowd witnessing the Fantasia Parade._

" _I can't see!" Laxus complained._

" _Come here then." Makarov put Laxus on his shoulders, ballooning up to a ridiculously high height._

" _Whoa…" Laxus grinned as he watched the parade._

" _Fairy Tail wizards are pretty cool, don't you think?"_

" _This is awesome! You're so cool grandpa! My grandpa is the best guild master ever!"_

Makarov closed his eyes, "Why did he have to come back now, of all times?"

* * *

Natsu stumbled around aimlessly, as if he were blind and drunk at once, Happy was flying around him at all times, trying to provide him with directions, with only moderate success.

"I…I don't think it was a good idea to bring him to the festival…" The Emerald Knight said.

"Eh, it's fine." Gray shrugged, "He'll be alright."

"This is so fascinating…" Juvia said, "There are so many people…."

Cana had her arms crossed, occasionally casting a sour look at Juvia, "Why did she have to come?" She quietly asked her boyfriend.

"I know what she said the other day, but our team did spend a lot of time with her." The Emerald Knight said, "I'd probably be dead if it weren't for her help in the Tower of Heaven."

"But she's from Phantom Lord, a dark guild. What if she's just gonna backstab us?"

"I trust her for now." He said, "She was invaluable to us, I even told her as much."

Juvia ran over to a booth where a man was selling jewelry. She snatched a necklace, "Gray, you must come here at once."

"Yeah, what is it?" Gray walked over.

"Look, it's a necklace for the two of us!" She smiled, hearts consuming her eyes. She held up two necklaces, both of them had half a heart, "Together they make one!"

"Oh yeah…look at that…" Gray said slowly, "That's uh…cool…"

"See, that doesn't look like backstabbing behavior…" The Emerald Knight observed from where he was with Cana.

Cana sighed, "So she's Gray's girlfriend then?"

He shrugged, "It could be possible, they certainly look nice together."

"You like her?"

"I think it would be different if I didn't fight someone to the death with her by my side. We made a good team."

"So I'm overreacting?"

"No. I don't like Gajeel being in the guild…but, my respect for Juvia prevents me from taking anything out on her, even if she is the reason he's there."

She sighed and nodded, then broke away and stood next to Juvia, "Hey."

Juvia put the necklaces in her pocket after handing the man some money, "Yes?" She asked, her eyes flittering with fear, but she disguised it well.

"Sorry about yesterday. I can turn into a cranky bitch sometimes, wasn't really a nice first impression."

"That's alright." Juvia slowly smiled, "I'm willing to look past it."

"Cana." She held out a hand.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Cana, I'm Juvia." Juvia gave her a firm handshake.

Cana giggled a bit, "Now I see why you get along with Ant so well."

Juvia suddenly pulled Cana in so she could whisper in her ear, "Don't get any ideas about playing love-rival with my Gray."

Cana blinked a few times, "I'm pretty happy with Ant right now…so…not really a big concern, right?"

"That's right." Juvia stood tall again, "I look forward to working with you."

"Me too." Cana smiled, then took Ant's hand, "She's kinda koo-koo."

"Is she, I haven't noticed…" The Emerald Knight said.

Gray looked at the sky, "Hmm, about now I'm pretty sure the Miss Fairy Tail contest starts."

"Wait, it does? I need to be at that…"

"You do?" Gray asked, as everyone looked at him, a bit confused considering he was a guy and he was so concerned about a beauty pageant.

He nodded, "Mirajane asked me to help organize it…"

"I gotta get there too." Cana said, "I'll kick Mira's ass this time."

"I joined as well, I wonder how I will fare…" Juvia mused.

"Hey, good luck guys." Gray smiled.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, somehow he found himself more nervous than the contestants in the wake of the upcoming pageant.

* * *

The Emerald Knight was backstage, looking at the six contestants in front of him, "Are you ladies ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Cana smiled and held his face before kissing his cheek, "Wish me luck." She said, wearing a blue top with black pants.

The Emerald Knight smiled, "Best of luck." He peeked out through the curtain as he watched her go on, seeing that Max Alors was acting as a host to an event. He never spoke to the man personally, but he recognized his brunette bowl cut anywhere. The Emerald Knight checked his clipboard every so often to see who would go next.

"Entry number one!" Max said, "An exotic beauty with a stomach that contains a hole to another dimension, Cana Alberona!"

The Emerald Knight cocked an eyebrow. _At best, that introduction is a back-handed compliment…_

Cana walked onto the stage and flipped her hair, reaching in her shirt to take out a deck of cards.

"Now it's time to cast some magic to show off that appeal factor!" Max announced.

Cana flipped the cards out, they swarmed the air around her, completely obscuring her. When they all disappeared, she was clad in nothing more than her bikini.

Resounding cheers were echoing around the guild hall. A smacking sound was heard amongst the shouting as the Emerald Knight dropped his clipboard with his jaw dropped.

"I think the five-hundred thousand will cover my liquor tab, right?" Cana smiled.

The Emerald Knight walked backstage, fanning himself off with the clipboard to reduce his blush, "Juvia, you're next."

Juvia gave a nervous nod as she slowly stepped onto the stage.

"Our second entry, the beauty who brings the rain, Juvia Lockser!" Max announced.

Juvia lifted her arms up, her body turning into water, which soon formed back into her original body. However, she was then clad in a blue polka-dot bikini. "Are you watching, Gray?" She winked.

Gray swallowed hard, trying not to blush, while Natsu was laughing away at his embarrassment, it seemed Natsu was finally starting to feel better.

The Emerald Knight went backstage, "Mirajane, you're next."

"Time to shine." She swept her hair out of the way and walked onstage.

"Our third entry is the poster girl for our guild! She makes men's hearts weep with desire, the lovely Mirajane!" Max shouted.

"I can use transformation magic, so I thought I would delight you all with a display." Mirajane said.

"Ooh, maybe she'll turn into her She-Devil form!" One member of the audience hissed.

"Her Satan-Soul is sexy as hell, she'll win if she uses that!" Another agreed.

"Here's my Happy form!" She said, her face turning into that of Happy's.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop a bit as everyone gasped.

"And here's my Gajeel form!" She said, her face turning into Gajeel's.

Gajeel spit out a few iron bolts that he was chewing on, blinking in shock.

The Emerald Knight retreated backstage, not expecting that turn of events at all, "Erza, you're next."

"Right." Erza nodded as she confidently strode onto the stage.

"Our fourth contestant is probably the most powerful woman in Fairy Tail! That's right, it's Titania! Erza Scarlet!" Max said.

"I have a special requip for all of you." Erza said, transforming into a goth-lolita dress, her red hair tied up with a black bow.

The Emerald Knight was surprised, by the sheer amount of cheering, it sounded as if there was already a winner. He went back to the remaining contestants, "Levy, it's your turn."

"What a tough act to follow…" Levy said nervously, dressed the most conservatively as she walked onto the stage. Her bubbly personality seemed to shine through though, she couldn't help but smile as Max introduced her.

"Our fifth contestant is probably the littlest sprite of all. The intelligent cutie, Levy McGarden!"

She cast all sorts of words around her, like Butterfly, Metal, Flower and Snow, all holding their respective effect.

The Emerald Knight went back once the cheers ended, "Bisca, you're the last one."

"Alright." Bisca went out in her dress, boots and cowboy hat, twirling her pistols around.

"Our last entry for today is our super sexy sniper, Bisca Mulan!" Max announced.

Bisca shot at some target lacrima she threw out, twirling around and aiming her gun in dozens of different fashions.

"She's so cute!" Alzack blushed.

The Emerald Knight took the center of the stage as the last contestant left and the curtains closed behind him, "Alright, that's all the contestants, I'll set up a table so you can starting voting on-

"And now, entry number seven." A figure walked onto the stage, "You want a fairy? You want beauty? Every part of this show is represented by yours truly!" She held her arms up in the air, "This contest is over, the winner has been decided. Here she is!"

"Evergreen!" Gray gasped.

"She's back?" Elfman asked.

The Emerald Knight glared at Evergreen, "There _is_ no entry number seven." He said, "Perhaps if you signed up earlier like a responsible person would've, you would be allowed to compete. Now be gone."

"Who is this little bug?" She turned and looked at him, fanning herself, "I don't recognize you at all…" She eyed him over.

"Get down from the stage." The Emerald Knight reached for his lance, "I wouldn't want to use force."

"Ant! Don't look into her eyes!" Gray screamed.

"Don't listen to them, little boy." Evergreen gave a cynical smile as she lifted her glasses, "Tell me, what color are they? I don't recall…"

The Emerald Knight's eyes widened, he reached a gauntleted hand out, but he slowly froze in stone, turning into a statue.

"Oh my god…" Max said, "Everyone run!" After he announced that, he practically incited a mass panic, as viewers made a run for it.

"What are you doing Evergreen?" Makarov snapped, "You're ruining the festival!"

"The point of a festival is to entertain, is it not?" She said, striking a match against her dress and lighting the curtain ablaze. Behind it, each entry in the contest was a stone figure.

"She…she turned everyone backstage into stone…?" Max gulped.

"My sister…" Elfman started.

"Even Erza!" Happy said.

"You fool! Turn them back right now!" Makarov demanded.

A bolt of lightning crashed down onto the stage, "Idiots of Fairy Tail…" Laxus said, "The festival starts now!"

"Laxus!"

Bickslow floated down by riding on his babies, and the man with the long green hair and red coat teleported next to Laxus.

"Freed and Bickslow…" Gray said.

"It's the Thunder Legion…Laxus's bodyguards…" Elfman said.

"Ready for a game, gramps?" Laxus asked.

"Stop this nonsense at once, Laxus! We've got preparations to make for Fantasia, turn everyone back to normal this instant!" Makarov said.

"Oh, you mean tonight?" Laxus smirked, "Hmm…wonder how many of us will be alive to see it…" A bolt of lightning fell, nearly cracking the Emerald Knight's statue in two.

"No!" Makarov said.

"See…these women and the little toy knight are our hostages now…" Laxus said, tapping his fist against the Emerald Knight's stone helmet, "You break the rules, we break a hostage. See, now that's entertainment!"

"If you think this is a game, Laxus, then you're in for a very rude awakening!" Makarov threatened.

"Oh trust me, we're very serious about this." Laxus said.

"This is our chance to finally settle the dispute over who's truly the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail." Freed said.

"Yeah! Let's play!" Bickslow cheered, with his babies echoing, 'Let's play!'

"The rules are simple." Laxus said, "Last one standing is the winner. It's the battle of Fairy Tail!"

Natsu flared up, "I like it, it's easy to understand! I'm all fired up now!"

"Natsu…" Laxus smiled, "You tend to jump on board to ideas like this…something I like…"

"Natsu…" Makarov warned.

"It's a festival, right old man?" Natsu smiled, running at Laxus.

"Wait, the last time you guys fought, Laxus kicked your ass!" Gray shouted.

"That was a long time ago!"

"On the other hand, your complete lack of brain cells is something I don't like…" Laxus sighed, holding a finger out, "Calm down, Natsu."

Natsu ran up to punch Laxus, but with one finger Laxus electrocuted Natsu for a while, Natsu screamed and fell back, collapsing on the ground.

"Damn it…I knew it…" Gray muttered.

"Just when he was feeling better…" Happy said.

"If you wanted these girls to return to their…human state, then you must defeat us." Evergreen said.

"There's only four of us and nearly a-hundred of you guys! Ha, ha, ha!" Bickslow laughed, "Don't you love those odds! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"You have three hours. One minute longer, and they all turn to dust." Evergreen smirked.

"What? You would seriously do that?" Max asked.

"Laxus…" Makarov growled.

"The battlefield is all of Magnolia." Laxus said, "Once you find us, the battle begins!"

"Don't you try and toy with me!" Makarov said, growing massively in size.

"Settle down, old man, just enjoy the festivities…" Laxus said, and in a bright golden flash, Laxus and the Thunder Legion were gone.

Makarov shrunk back down to his normal size, "That fool…what does he plan to prove with this?"

"I gotta save my sister!" Elfman ran out.

"Damn it, let's go crush Laxus!" Max ran out with a moderate crowd of the Fairy Tail guild mates.

"Bisca…" Alzack gazed into Bisca's stone cold eyes, "I'm going to save you, okay?"

"I'm going to find that brat and put an end to all of this!" Makarov ran towards the entrance, but he slammed into an inviable purple wall that almost looked cybernetic.

"What are you doing, Master?" Gray asked.

"There's some sort of invisible wall, I can't move!" Makarov said.

"But…I don't see an invisible wall anywhere…" Gray tried to pull the master out of the guild, but it wouldn't work, "What the hell, why does it only affect you?"

"Writing in the air…" Makarov swallowed hard, "It must be one of Freed's enchantments…"

"Enchantment?" Gray repeated.

"It's a type of trap. It's premeditative magic that springs once someone walks into it. My guess is that he wrote this enchantment for the guild's entrance to block me from leaving…"

"Seriously?"

He nodded, "Anyone who walks into Freed's enchantments must follow his rules. Look." He pointed, then he read aloud, "Stone statues or anyone over the age of eighty is forbidden from crossing this border."

Gray frowned, disgusted, "So he's literally writing the rules for this tournament…"

"Enchantments take a very long time to write…they're useless in the heat of battle, but depending on how much time Freed had to set these traps…I don't even want to think about it…"

"So that's why you can't leave…" Gray mused, "Can you break the spell?"

"The rules of an Enchantment are absolute…" Makarov said, "That's why I'm so worried about how this is all going to play out…"

"They never intended for you to fight in the first place…they really thought this through…" Gray said, "If that's the case, we'll go on without you!" He started running off.

"Wait Gray!" Makarov called.

"I know he's your grandson, but I can't show him any mercy! I'm taking out Laxus myself!" Gray said.

Makarov took a deep sigh, he looked around, wondering who in the hell would even be able to _compete_ with Laxus, let alone defeat him. He gave a forlorn look to Erza, if she wasn't encased in stone, than perhaps she would stand a chance. He then spotted a shivering figure behind one of the beams.

"Forgive me sir…I…I'm scared…" Reedus swallowed hard.

"Reedus! You're here!" Makarov smiled, "Do you know where Porlyusica lives?"

"Oui." He nodded.

"Then go to her and see what she has to cure petrification spells! Hurry!"

"Oui!" He started to make his way out of the guild.

Natsu got up and rubbed his head, "Damn it…where's Laxus?"

"You're awake!" Happy cheered.

"How come this place is so empty…?"

Makarov looked at Natsu, almost forgetting about him, maybe, just maybe.

"What's going on, gramps?"

"The tournament has begun! Laxus is hiding in the city somewhere, go find him and beat him!" Makarov said, sparing no expense at hyping Natsu up as much as possible.

"Alright!" Natsu cheered, "Just you wait Laxus!" He ran for the exit, but he crashed into an invisible wall and fell over, "Ow! What the hell?"

Makarov's eyes shrunk, how come Natsu was affected by the Enchantment?

* * *

 **A/N:** I didn't notice until I was writing it, but Laxus is foreshadowed so much right before the battle of Fairy Tail, isn't he? I'm not complaining. Let me know what you thought with a review, they're always appreciated! This weekend might be a little busy for me, but I'll try to work on more of the arc. Thanks for reading!


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N:** Here's chapter forty three! (Whoohoo! Double upload! Didn't really see that one coming tonight!) :) More Battle of Fairy Tail on the way! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"There you are, Alzack!" Jet and Droy ran over to Alzack's sides in the streets of Magnolia.

"There's no one this way, what about in your direction?" Alzack asked.

"Not even a hint."

"Damn it…look at what they did to Bisca…" Alzack seethed with rage, "Laxus! I won't stand for this!" He kicked a nearby barrel over.

"Hey, chill out, man!" Droy said.

"How is he supposed to be chill with Laxus out there running around? And we only have three hours to defeat him?" Jet asked.

When Alzack took another step forward, he triggered a large purple barrier, "What the heck…damn it…it's an Enchantment, isn't it?"

As a barrier surrounded them, Jet sneered, "Dammit…Freed must have set up traps all over town…"

"They must have been set from the start…" Droy said.

Alzack read the rules the Enchantment stated, "Only the winner is permitted to leave the boundaries of this barrier…"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Droy asked, shaking with fear.

"We're supposed to take each other out?" Jet asked. "We're trapped then! We would never do something like that to each other!"

"Yeah, screw you Freed! We're not playing your game!" Droy raised a fist to the air.

"Forgive me…" Alzack's face darkened, "But I have to save Bisca! I can't sit around in this little arena all day!"

* * *

"What does that even mean, Natsu?" Makarov asked, "Are you a stone statue or are you over eighty?"

"How the hell should I know? Why can't I get outta here?" Natsu asked.

"Battle of Fairy Tail…progress report…" Makarov read a new message on the Enchantment wall, "Jet and Droy versus Alzack…? What's that supposed to mean? Why would they be fighting each other…surely it's some sort of joke?" He asked, then his face lost a bit of its color, "Winner…Alzack…" He swallowed hard, "Jet and Droy…knocked out…"

* * *

Laxus smiled as he sat in his hiding spot in Magnolia, by now dozens upon dozens of Fairy Tail wizards were fighting against each other, shrinking down the potential list of 'strongest wizard.' "I wonder how long the Fairy cannibal feast can go, gramps!" He laughed.

* * *

"Max versus Warren…winner…Warren…Nab and Vijeeter…simultaneous knockout…Macao and Wakaba…battle starting…" Makarov read the reports that were popping up quicker than he could process, "Stop fighting! Won't you brats just stop!"

"There are Enchantments all over town…and the only way to get out of them is for them to fight one another…" Happy said, "I guess this is what Laxus meant when he said 'Battle of Fairy Tail'…"

"Damn it…" Natsu said, crashing into the invisible wall over and over again, "I want to fight! Why can't they let me fight?"

Makarov shook his head, "That won't solve anything…"

"But it's a tournament to see who's the strongest…" Natsu whimpered.

"Who said anything about a tournament…" Makarov said, "It…it's a fight between friends. A fight between allies. No matter how you look at it, it's wrong…"

"Oh, it's just a bunch of little fights, we do that all the time!"

"This is different!" Makarov snapped, "The lives of everyone are at stake here! If we don't hurry our entire guild is doomed! If…if things go on the way they are, they'll all crumble into stone and we'll never see them again…"

"I don't think Laxus would take it that far, gramps." Natsu said, "I mean, he's kinda a jerk, but he's still a member of our family, right?" He smiled.

"Natsu…" Makarov said. _You think of Laxus as a comrade after everything he's done? You think he's only bluffing?_ He looked back at the screen, "Forty-two people? You mean by friendly-fire alone, we've already lost half of our members?"

* * *

"East Forest! East Forest!" Reedus panted, "Must get out of town…" He crashed into an invisible wall, "No…t-that's impossible…the _entire town_ is covered by an Enchantment?"

"I will not allow anyone to break my rules." A horde of ancient runes formed into a figure in front of Reedus.

"What…what's this…Freed?"

"Laxus told you already. The battlefield is Magnolia. If you are a wizard, then you must fight!" He drew his sword, "Show me your power!"

* * *

"Laxus! Where are you?" Elfman shouted as he ran through the streets, then he spotted a familiar figure, "Evergreen! You witch! No man needs to take hostages! Turn my sister back to normal!"

He met an icy gaze, then the holder held up a gloved hand to take their glasses off.

Elfman gulped, he dove to the side and crashed into a flower shop, causing debris and petals to fly everywhere.

"I happen to like flowers." He heard, "After all, they look nice. On me." She saw Elfman come out of the wreckage, in his beastly form, the same one that completely destroyed Sol, "Such a shame your name is the only cute thing about you."

"Return my sister to normal!" His deep voice growled, at closer glance there was a piece of cloth around his eyes.

"You think you can beat me blindfolded?" She asked, "How are you supposed to look and see my grace as I bring you to a wallowing defeat?"

Elfman roared and ran at her, he narrowly missed her as she took flight, but even in the air, he was only missing slightly, his accuracy was borderline top-notch.

"Hmm. You must be using that filthy nose of yours to follow my scent." She deduced, "Unfortunately for you, that nose won't do you any good when you're surrounded in Fairy Dust." She twirled over him. "Fairy Bomb, Gremlin!"

Elfman coughed up blood, tumbling in the ground before his blindfold fell off.

She landed on the ground and smiled as she got to his level, "I love statues…no matter how ugly a beast may be, they turn beautiful once converted to stone…" She took her glasses off, "Now look me in the eye, Elfman…with all the pride you hold to your guild…"

* * *

"Elfman versus Evergreen…" Makarov swallowed hard, "The winner is…Evergreen…Elfman…knocked out…"

"I never thought that Elfman would be taken out…" Happy said.

"Damn it…Gray just started a fight with Bickslow…I want to fight too…"

"Hmm…so the Thunder Legion joined the battle…" Makarov wearily read the personnel tally, it read at forty-one. He shook with rage, would Laxus truly continue this battle until their counter reached zero.

* * *

Reedus coughed up blood, tumbling to the ground, covered in hundreds of sword slashes.

Freed sheathed his sword, "How unfortunate…Reedus, I expected much better from you…you should've kept to your training a bit fiercer…now there are only forty members remaining in this great battle…"

* * *

"Reedus lost?" Happy asked.

"Damn…Freed must be pretty tough…" Natsu said.

"But that's not the point! Reedus was supposed to get the cure to Evergreen's spell from Porlyusica!"

"It's fine, Laxus just made an empty threat, that's all."

"An empty threat, you say?" Laxus asked as he appeared in the room.

"A thought projection." Happy noted, seeing how crackling and faded Laxus looked.

"More importantly, what the hell are you still doing here, Natsu?"

"Damn it, I'd go out there, if I could! Your stupid wall's in the way!" Natsu snapped.

"Laxus…" Makarov growled.

"Never figured you would just stand and watch while all your little buddies go beat each other to death." Laxus snickered, still going on with his taunt against Natsu, "Hmm…well, without Natsu and Erza…there's no one who can stand up to the Thunder Legion, I guess my little tournament is just about as good as over, huh?" He loomed over Makarov, "Ready to surrender?"

"We still have Gray out there!" Happy yelled, "He'll be more than a match for the Thunder Legion!"

"Pfft, Gray?" Laxus snickered, "Putting all your hope into the ice cream cone, huh? Yeah, good luck with that, I'm sure he'll last about five minutes."

"Don't underestimate Gray, Laxus." Makarov said.

"Hmm, I guess if I were in the same position as you saps, I'd be talking big too." Laxus grinned, "Then I'll give him ten minutes…"

* * *

"Ooh, look, I found Gray!" Bickslow shouted, "Now, let's go babies!"

Gray gasped, jumping back and dodging the erratic attacks of Bickslow's babies.

"Line formation!" Bickslow shouted, his totems all stacked onto one another, firing five green laser beams at Gray.

Gray jumped back, unwittingly jumping into a toy store.

"You're pretty good for a punk, Gray!" Bickslow laughed, "But let's do our victory formation, babies!" Then his smile faded when he didn't hear any response whatsoever from his totems, "Where'd you go, babies?" He then gasped once he saw all five frozen babies on the floor, "No! When did he-"

Gray kicked him in the face, Bickslow spit out a little bit of blood and stumbled back, "Ice-Make…Hammer!" Gray cast a giant icy hammer at Bickslow, ready to finish him in one shot.

"X-Formation!" Bickslow smiled like a madman, and five toys all blocked Gray's attack.

"What?" Gray gasped.

"My version of Seith Magic, Puppetry, allows me to put souls inside of inanimate objects. You can freeze the souls all you want, but I'll just move 'em to some other dolls!"

"Then how about I freeze _you_ instead?" Gray frowned.

"I'd love to see you try!" Bickslow laughed as he ran away.

"Are…are you running away?" Gray growled as he ran after him.

Bickslow didn't provide an answer other than merry laughter as he ran down the streets of Magnolia.

"Come back here, you jerk!" Gray yelled, he almost lost track of him, until he headed into an alleyway.

"Up here, Gray!" Bickslow said. Gray looked up to see Bickslow doing a split between two buildings, an odd stance to say the least.

"You creep…what the hell are you doing?"

"I told you, I want to play! And so do my babies!"

Gray was about to cast something, but he saw a purple border around the ally, "An Enchantment?"

Gray's eyes widened in horror as Bickslow read off the Enchantment, "No one in these boundaries can use magic until the battle is over." Bickslow laughed and laughed, "See, right now, a wizard who works by remote control would really excel here!"

"Damn it…it was a trap…?" Gray asked.

The dolls flew towards Gray from afar, still outside the boundary, they were able to all smash into him at once. Gray coughed up blood and fell back.

Bickslow laughed so hard he put a hand on his chest, "Too bad Gray! Looks like I win this one!"

Gray got up, jumping from wall to wall in an effort to catch up with Bickslow.

"What…no, it can't be?" Bickslow swallowed hard.

Gray punched him in the face, with such force that both men crashed into the ground.

"Eh…damn it…." Bickslow got up, rubbing his bloody jaw, "That freaking hurt…" Then he started laughing as he saw that Gray was bloodied and unconscious, "I knew he wouldn't be able to take a full-on attack from my babies! Ha! I win!"

* * *

"Gray…knocked out…" Makarov went pale.

Laxus laughed and laughed, "Oh well, I guess ten minutes was a little bit _too_ much time for that loser!"

"No!" Happy said, "This can't be…they must've used a dirty trick or something…"

"Who can beat the Thunder Legion now, huh gramps?"

"Gajeel can!" Happy said.

"Oh yeah right, looks like the metal head is sitting this one out. That piece of trash never felt any loyalty to the guild in the first place." Laxus scoffed.

"I'm still here!" Natsu raised a fist up.

"If you can't leave the building, then we may as well not count you then…" Makarov sighed, "Very well…" He teared up, "I surrender…"

"No gramps, don't do it!" Natsu said.

"So now you have to stop all this, Laxus."

"We can't have that!" A greedy grin spread onto Laxus's face, "If the Master of the world-famous Fairy Tail guild is willing to throw in the towel so easily, then the only logical thing for him to do is to surrender and hand the guild over to me!"

"That's bull crap Laxus, are you really that scared to fight me?" Natsu snapped.

Makarov clenched his fists, "So _that's_ what you were planning this whole time…"

"There's only an hour and a half left until those statues turn into sand…think it over very carefully…" Laxus said.

"That's low, Laxus!" Happy said.

"When you come to your senses, announce it over the guild's public address system. Tell the entire town that you're handing the guild over to me! Take your time, think it over…but what's more important? Your position, or your children?"

Natsu roared, running at Laxus with a flaming fist, but Laxus vanished the second Natsu touched him.

"…I did say he was a thought projection…" Happy said.

"Damn it…he can't just cheat and take the Master's seat. He should have to fight me first!" Natsu fumed.

"To tell the truth, I don't give a damn about the Master's seat…" Makarov said, "But…it would be beyond wrong to leave this guild to Laxus…there are two things one needs to be a guild master…conviction…and heart…and he has neither of those things."

"But…if things go on the way they are…Ant and the girls will turn into sand…" Happy said.

"There has to be someone who can defeat Laxus." Makarov said.

"Me!" Natsu said.

"But you're stuck in here, we need to think of someone else for the time being."

"Who's there?" Happy looked over to the bar, hearing lots of metal shifting around.

Gajeel peeked over the bar, chewing on a bunch of iron scraps.

"Gajeel?" Natsu asked.

"Don't eat that stuff, it's for the barmaids!" Happy said.

"Gajeel…I beg of you…do you think you can defeat Laxus?" Makarov asked.

"Leave it to me." Gajeel snickered as he gave a dark grin, "I got a score to settle with that punk." He headed to leave, but then he bumped right into Freed's Enchantment.

"You too?" Natsu's jaw dropped.

"What's going on here?" Makarov roared.

"I don't get it!" Happy said.

* * *

Alzack panted, covered in blood and scuffs, he needed to support himself by putting his hand on a wall on fence or anything sturdy, he could barely walk. His eyes widened, "Freed…" He looked into Freed's cold stare, "I…I hurt all my friends, I defeated them…all because of your Enchantments! I kept telling myself…that…it would be okay…because it's for Bisca…" He gave a roar, "Guns Magic…Tornado Blast!" He shot at Freed with everything he had.

Freed jumped forward and elegantly slashed at the tornado with his sword, rendering Alzack's attack useless.

"You…you cut through my gunshots…?" Alzack asked, then he started choking, putting his hands around his neck, "What…what is this…can't breathe…can…can you use some other weird magic…aside from Enchantments…?"

Freed sighed and sheathed his sword, waiting patiently for Alzack to drop to the ground, "Anyone who uses magic within these runes will be stripped of oxygen. Of course, if you had bothered to _read_ the Enchantment, you would have known that yourself." He started walking away, "How can anyone hope to defeat me, I write the very rules in which this battle takes place!"

* * *

"Only two wizards left…" Makarov said.

"Why the hell can't you get out of here, jerk? Are you only pretending? You too scared to fight?" Natsu challenged.

"How the hell should I know?" Gajeel snapped.

"You must be over eighty then." Natsu nodded.

Gajeel's voice deepened a bit as his sheer anger to the suggestion, "Do I _look_ over eighty to you?"

"Oh no…please no…" Makarov turned around to the two brats arguing behind him, "It's just you two, isn't it?"

"I'm not even included in the head count!" Happy started crying.

"So…everyone in Fairy Tail has either been taken out by friendly fire, or by the Thunder Legion…" Makarov shivered, "There's no one left who can fight? Is…is this the end?"

"Well, I guess there's no choice…I have to turn Erza back to normal." Natsu turned around and went towards the seven statues.

"What?" Gajeel asked, "Why are you talking like you can _actually_ do it?"

"Damn. I really wanted to show her up this time." Natsu said.

"Wait? You can free Erza, how?" Makarov asked.

"If she gets hot enough, she'll melt, right?" Natsu asked, a clueless look on his face.

"Wait, Natsu, don't do it!" Makarov held a hand out.

"It's worth a try." Natsu set Erza's statue down so she was laying on her backside, lighting his hands up and rubbing the statue with it.

"Stop it! You're going to boil her alive!"

"It'll be fine."

"Hey, he said stop!" Gajeel yelled.

Erza's face cracked. As a result they all screamed.

"Ah! Glue, Happy! Get me the glue!" Natsu gasped.

"Aye!" Happy flew off.

"That's not gonna do anything you moron! We gotta use your fire and my iron and weld her back together!" Gajeel said.

Erza's face began to crack more and more.

"No!" Natsu bowed before her, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The stone cracked off of Erza and she was freed from the spell, lying there with a dazed look on her face. There was a pause, as the four of them looking at her couldn't believe their luck.

"Why do I feel so hot…?" She asked, then she held her forehead and scowled, "Did you two try to cook me!?"

"Erza's back to normal! Yay!" Happy cheered.

"Erza…" Makarov looked up at her as stood up, stunned, "How did you…?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but…" She swept some hair out of the way of her face, "Perhaps it has something to do with my eye. Or lack thereof."

"Of course." Makarov said, "You have that false eye. It must have weakened the effect of Evergreen's magic."

"Erza, do you know what's going on?" Happy asked.

"I heard everything, despite being encased in stone." Erza said.

"Yes, we can do this!" Makarov smiled, "We can counterattack!"

"Now that I'm here, the survivors' rate had to have increased." Erza walked over to the statistics in the air and pondered them, "I'm still having a few doubts about this…"  
"So that must mean the remaining members are Natsu, Gajeel, and Erza." Happy said.

"Hey, it just went up to four." Gajeel pointed.

"But who is it?" Natsu asked.

"Everyone is still a statue, so who could it be?" Makarov asked.

"Seems we've forgotten about someone. A very mysterious S-Class wizard, perhaps…" Erza suggested.

"Mystogan!" Makarov's face brightened even more, "This is it then! We can finally stage our counterattack!"

* * *

Laxus stood in the center of the Kardia Cathedral, "With Erza and Mystogan joining the fray…it means that the top three wizards of Fairy Tail are on the battlefield. Now _that's_ a festival for you!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Damn I forgot how much of a badass Freed is in this chapter (and this arc, too). Make sure to leave a review, if you can. Until next time!


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N:** Here's chapter forty-four! It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry I've taken so long, I've been working on Power Struggle and New Prince, New Problems, and life, so you know, I haven't had a whole ton of time to write this…but, inspiration strikes in funny places! I hope you like this chapter! Also, if it seems kind of chunky, I apologize, I wrote half of it a long while ago, and the other half now, so yeah. Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

Erza rushed down the streets, dodging around the crowds of people as she pushed through any sort of tiredness that tried to overtake her.

"Hey Erza, what's up with that costume?" One man called.

"And what about all those fights breaking out in the streets?" Another asked.

"Some sort of show for the Festival?"

"It's all preparation for the parade!" She lied, not bothering to stop or slow down to acknowledge them.

"Those are some weird preparations…"

"Expect the best Fantasia parade we've ever had tonight!" She called out.

"We will!" He waved.

"Just as long as there's less fighting!"

Erza kept running along, that is, until spears started raining down on her. Her pace broken, she jumped out of the way, her gaze locking onto the one responsible for using them, who was perched on a water tower above. "I thought you'd still be stone." Evergreen called out, standing up tall, "How did you manage to escape that? Well," She answered her own question, "Really I don't care. Hardly matters. I still get to have fun with you."

"If you think the Thunder Legion is going to get away with all this, you're sorely mistaken. You'll be lucky to even set foot inside the guild again after this." Erza called back.

"You think I _care_?" She asked with extreme frustration, "Laxus is actually right, the guild is nothing more than useless bums, waddling around and collecting pocket change for pulling people's cats out of trees!"

Erza's eyes narrowed, "And suppose your idol was guild master then." She asked, "How many funerals would he be responsible for?"

She smiled and fanned herself, "That's an interesting question. No one would die." As Erza's confusion grew, she continued, "Because Laxus would ensure any weakling in the guild who was in danger of getting killed would be kicked out before they could even risk a mistake."

"That's nothing more than a recipe for a dark guild. Fairy Tail would never stoop so low."

"Ugh." She rolled her eyes, "I despise how you prance around and recite the laws and rights of Fairy Tail like their mascot. It's because you're Titania, isn't it? The Queen of the Fairies? _You?_ Ugh, thinking about it makes me feel sickly. After all, I'm the greatest fairy of them all!" She held her hands up and leapt off the side of the water tower she was on, glitter falling down from the sky.

 _Sand?_ Erza's chocolate eyes watched the glitter fall and instinctively dove out of the way, just in the nick of time.

"Fairy Bomb, Gremlin!" She cried out as the glitter exploded, latching onto the ladder to the side of the tower as she searched the area to look for Erza's body.

After getting blown aside by some of the combustion, Erza drew a sword in a heartbeat, leaping up in the air and slicing the water tower into three segments, knocking them all to the ground. Evergreen landed as well, her eyes wide as she narrowly escaped getting sliced in half.

"I didn't expect that from you, Erza." She admitted as Erza landed across from her.

"After I take you down, everyone will go back to normal. You think I'd give up on the guild like that? I'm not like you four."

"You think we gave up?" She asked, "Oh, oh no, you've been mistaken. We're doing the opposite. We care so deeply, we're changing it. To make us stronger."

"I won't have any of these lies!" Erza cried out, starting to run forward.

Evergreen removed her glasses and smiled. Erza skidded back and closed her left eye, "That won't work!" Erza rushed forward to slice into her.

Evergreen's eyes were wide as she dove out of the way. "Ah, I see….I had forgotten about that eye you lost in the Tower of Heaven." She landed on top of building, "The little cyclops runt thinks she can take her weakness and use it against me? Well, what about this?" She launched her hands out, beams of lights shooting out at Erza, "Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!"

Erza's eyes were wide, put she pushed through the bullets, dodging each one. Occasionally her clothes would get nicked by a light beam, but she remained unscathed as she ran forward.

Evergreen laughed, "Come now, I have infinite light beams, you think you can dodge _all_ of them?"

Erza held her blade up and used it to reflect some of the beams as she dashed forward, close enough to cause Evergreen to jump back onto the roof of another building. And another once Erza caught up. And another. They hopped across dozens of buildings before Evergreen skidded back and doubled the amount of beams she was launching, "You've impressed me so far, Erza, but can you take double the amount?"

Erza skidded back, getting hit by dozens of them as Evergreen laughed and laughed. "Therefore, the name Titania belongs to me! I am the perfect fairy, after all!"

Erza's stockings and boots disappeared, instead she held two more blades with her feet. Giving a fierce battle cry, she flew in the air as graceful as ever, slicing the light bullets in half. Gradually getting closer and closer to Evergreen, she released her grips on the blades with her feet, the two swords flew forward and pinned Evergreen to the wall by the shoulders of her dress.

"I don't like you, Evergreen." Erza said as she walked forward slowly. Evergreen shuddered, her back pressed flush against the wall as she shuddered in fear. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're a Fairy Tail mage. You're family." She said, then she looked away, "Take the name Titania, if you'd like. I don't even know where I got it in the first place." She said, before turning back and walking closer, "Now stop this foolishness and turn those girls back to normal."

Evergreen gave a dark laugh, "Aren't you confident?" She said, "My stone eyes have another purpose, you know…the power of remote control….so, grovel before me, unless you want me to turn those girls to dust right this moment!" She demanded fiercely.

Erza looked away, then she requipped into her Heaven's Wheel armor, hundreds of swords in the air, "Now I see." Erza said, "You value victory over your life? I can respect that."

Evergreen's eyes widened as she trembled, "Uh….."

"I suppose I'm not left with a choice…" She said, "I'll purify the lives of the girls you're turning to sand by taking your life."

Evergreen started to sweat, then sweat more, and more. Erza reached forward and punched her in the face lightly, "If you're going to lie, make it believable."

"I admit defeat…" Evergreen whimpered.

* * *

The four remaining wizards in the guild turned their attention to the girls on stage as they broke free. They all paused and looked down at themselves, just as shocked as the others were.

"Ha, ha! You're back Ant!" Natsu cheered.

"What are you talking about?" The Emerald Knight asked, but his voice was muffled as Happy crashed into him and gave him a hug.

"Well done, Erza." Makarov smiled, "Now everyone's freed…so…what is Laxus's next move?"

* * *

"Damn it!" Laxus raged, punching a hole in the nearest pillar in the cathedral, "How could Evergreen be defeated by the likes of Erza! How the hell could you be so weak, Ever?"

"She was much too strong for her." Freed reported coolly, "It was obvious that Bickslow or I should have fought her."

"Why did you come back, Freed?"

"Because the game is over. With the hostages freed, they'll have no reason to continue playing the game anymore."

Laxus growled and turned around, firing off a vicious array of lightning, it barely missed Freed, as he was using it to make a point more than anything else.

"Laxus…?" Freed swallowed hard, for once vulnerability showed in his voice.

"It isn't over!" Laxus growled, "If you aren't going to follow my lead, then _my_ Fairy Tail doesn't need you!"

* * *

"The Battle of Fairy Tail?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Jeez, I knew Laxus was fucked up, but I didn't think he was _that_ nuts." Cana sat back and took a swig of her drink.

"I'm not too worried about it anymore." Makarov said, "With you all freed, I have no interest in playing Laxus's deranged little game anymore!"

"Why now of all times?" Mirajane whimpered, tears lined her eyes. "How can he be _this_ heartless….?"

Bisca on the other hand, was furious, "If we don't teach Laxus a lesson now, it'll set a rotten example of who we are! We have to kick his ass to set him back in place!"

"Don't worry about that, I plan on giving Laxus an punishment scarier than his worst nightmares when this is all said and done." Makarov said, "Damn it Laxus, I can't believe you thought you would get away with this!"

"Wait a second, guys." Natsu held a hand up, "I agree that it was wrong for him to pit all our friends against each other, but I can't help but want to go along with Laxus's plan of figuring out who's the strongest in Fairy Tail…"

"Natsu…" Levy said, "That'll give him the wrong idea!"

"But we shouldn't get so mad at him!" Natsu said, light-heartedly as always, "So…" He looked at all the girls and the Emerald Knight with hungry eyes, "I declare the second Battle of Fairy Tail to begin!"

"Don't even say things like that!" Makarov yelled.

"Come on Ant, once I'm done with you, I'll battle all the girls, next!" Natsu held his fists up.

The Emerald Knight backed away, holding his hands up, "Please don't…" He gave a weak smile, "I had no plans of being charred remains tonight…"

"Yeah, Natsu, there's no way in hell I'm gonna beat you. I could drink you under the table, but I don't even want to _think_ about drunk Natsu…" Cana mused.

"Are you kidding, he'd be _exactly_ like regular Natsu." The Emerald Knight smiled, making Cana laugh.

"Natsu, I don't think it's very nice to beat up a bunch of girls…" Happy said.

"A girl, a guy, a friend, an enemy, as long as I can punch them in the face, it'll be all good." Natsu said, "Now where were we Ant?"

Juvia looked up at Gajeel, who was looking away. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing." Gajeel grunted.

She gave a small smile, "This guild has much more heart than Phantom Lord, hmm?"

"Sure it a lot crazier, that's for sure." He muttered.

Laxus appeared, once again as a thought projection, and the expression on his face was none too pleased.

Cana's eyes narrowed, "Oh, look who it is….our future guild master, everyone!"

Mirajane bit her lip and held her tears back as much as she could, though it was just about futile, "What do you want, Laxus?" She demanded, her voice hoarse from crying. Her normally sweetened voice was almost unrecognizable.

"Thought I'd give all you losers a visit." Laxus growled, "So…one of the rules were thrown out the window. That's okay, I'll make a new one. The Battle of Fairy Tail _will_ continue. The Thunder Palace will make sure of that."

"What? Thunder Palace?" Makarov snapped.

"You have an hour and ten minutes left to beat me. Or, you can always retire." He smiled, vanishing.

"What are you thinking, Laxus? You intend to involve _everyone_ in town whether they have anything to do with Fairy Tail or not?" He roared, then he flinched, grabbing his chest and falling to his knees.

"Gramps!" Natsu shouted.

"Master…" The Emerald Knight went pale.

Mirajane fell to his side, as well as Levy and Bisca, "I'll go get his medicine." Mirajane said as she stood again and rushed off, wiping her tears away.

"Did he just give his grandpa a heart attack?" Bisca asked, "What an asshole!"

"Don't stress him out, Bisca!" Levy urged, then gently held the Master's arm, "It'll be alright, Master, hang in there!"

"What the hell is the Thunder Palace, anyway?" Natsu wondered.

Mirajane came running downstairs with a jar of medicine, a terribly distressed look on her face, "Everyone, look outside!"

The group of them went outside, at one of higher balconies, they saw hundreds of large yellow bolts filled with lightning surrounding the entire town in a big ring, "What the heck are these things?" Natsu asked.

Levy fumbled to put her glasses on, "They're…lightning lacrima…"

"Are…those things….surrounding the entire town!?" Cana asked, beyond shocked.

"Each lacrima must be packed with lightning magic…" Levy said, taking her glasses off.

"So…the thunder palace must be….." Cana trailed off.

"Does he mean the entire town is the Thunder Palace?" Juvia asked.

"No…" Cana said, "But those things are all aimed at Magnolia…"

"So…" The Emerald Knight said timidly, "They're…bombs…or mines…rather, that are set to detonate…?"

"Yeah, more or less…" Cana said, her eyes narrowed, "Those things go off, they'll release countless strikes of lighting on the town."

"Well, I'll never let that happen!" Bisca said, reequipping a sniper rifle, "Requip, Sniper Rifle!" She called, before locking onto one of the lacrima and firing.

The lacrima lit up, then exploded into dust. The people on the balcony cheered, "Nice aim." Cana pat her shoulder.

"I'll wipe the rest of 'em out too." Bisca said, "Laxus thinks he can—" Her body lit up with electricity as she let out a piercing scream and fell to the ground with a thud, charred and unconscious.

"Bisca!" Cana gasped, "Wake up!"

"She…she fainted…" The Emerald Knight said, "Does…does that mean the _rest_ of them can do that?"

"They must be using Body Link Magic…" Cana said.

"Body Link Magic…?"

"If you attack them, they hit back, with the same amount of power you used on it." Cana said.

The Emerald Knight frowned and looked forward, "Then we can't let it end here. If we do, then I don't even want to think about what would happen to the people of Magnolia." He grabbed the handle to his lance with a shaky grip, perhaps his grip shook because of fear, or because he was roused, "Come on now! There's only _three_ of them left! We cannot let them silence us!"

Cana nodded with a smile and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, taking his other hand and running off with him.

Natsu watched the couple run off, with Juvia following not too far behind, "Damn it…what the hell does that jerk think he's doing!" He tried to run off the roof, crashing into the barrier, "He's taking this too far! If he wants to be guild master, he should just fight gramps for it!"

Levy grit her teeth, "Natsu, you need to calm down or you're going to hurt yourself!"

"Who can be calm at a time like this?" He said, once again, bashing his head into the force field, "Damn this stupid invisible wall!"

"Forget the wall and come up here." She demanded. Once he did, she gave a confident smile, "It's just an enchantment right? That's a type of magic I can work with!"

Natsu and Gajeel blinked in surprise, "Really?" They both asked.

"I think so." She said firmly, "I really have to try, because I know if I succeed, you two will be able to stop Laxus."

The three of them regrouped in the guild and began to come up with a way to break the Enchantment. Or, rather, _Levy_ was doing the research, while Natsu and Gajeel merely stared on occasionally.

She leaned over a book on her hands and knees, stacks of books here and there. She adjusted her glasses as she flipped through pages and scribbled things down, "If we analyze the array of rogue letters as textual material…and then pick out the ones that are used in the rule architecture…we get L, O, S, and U…then we just have to translate that to Gheel grammar…"

"Wow…" Gajeel said quietly, at her side, "We may both speak English, but I have no idea what the hell you're saying. Gotta say, it's pretty amazing…"

Natsu snickered from where he was standing, "Aw…Gajeel…"

"Shut up!" Gajeel snarled, muttering something under his breath afterwards.

Levy was entirely oblivious, "But wait…no, no, that can't be right…" She sat up, "Wait, L and S are in the Braf group! They key code is X4!"

Gajeel swallowed hard, having no idea what she was talking about, "Uh…uh-huh…yeah, sounds about right…"

She gave a little smirk as she kept scratching stuff down, "Don't worry about this. I'll get you out of here, I promise. Just please…" She sat up and locked eyes with him, "Stop Laxus."

Natsu walked over to the exit, the one that had been blocked for him this entire time now, "Just you wait…Laxus, I'm coming for you…"

* * *

Laxus howled with laughter inside the Kardia Cathedral, "What do you think of that old man? Now I have the _entire town_ as a hostage! Ha, ha, ha!"

"I never thought you'd actually go this far…" Freed said quietly.

Laxus scowled back at him, "What do you mean, 'this far'?" He seethed, "Only I decide my limits…" He looked ahead, "This is a fight to the death! Only one side will survive!"

"The Thunder Palace…" Freed mused, "I can't believe we've taken such measures already…"

"What are you still doing here, Freed? Remember? You and Bickslow need to keep going on with all the Fairy hunting. But _I'm_ taking care of Erza. Mystogan too. I want to see the hope leave that old fool's eyes as I take out his two best pawns to use against me!" He chuckled darkly to himself, "You take out Cana and that weird Phantom girl. I have no need for either of them in my Fairy Tail, put them in a grave."

Freed swallowed hard, "Surely…killing them…is going a little too far…we…we're from the same guild—"

"Are you disobeying an order from me?" He snapped.

He sighed, losing all the color in his face, "I suppose I've come too far, haven't I? There's no use going back no." He admitted, "I'll follow you anywhere you'd like to go, even if it were to the depths of hell." He turned away from Laxus, heading out, "I already have blood on my hands, what difference will this battles cause?"

Laxus smirked, "That's more like it, Freed the Dark. Show those fools no mercy!"

* * *

"That Thunder Palace is going go off in an hour, what do we do?" Happy panicked.

The Emerald Knight looked ahead, "We just have to eliminate Laxus and his foolish minions before that happens, it's our only option."

"But don't you know how powerful they all are?"

The Emerald Knight nodded. Happy knew these people much better than he did, while he was essentially fighting this people with no prior knowledge to how they fought or what their mannerisms were. He had a new move that he had been working on quite a while, he had known it for months now, but it wouldn't have helped him at all in the Tower of Heaven, so he chose against using it. And it wasn't like the move would put him at much of an advantage in this battle either. He was also worried about Cana and Juvia. In the heat of the moment, they split into pairs, with the two ladies going one way and he and Happy going another. It wasn't their power that he was worried about, he was concerned about how they just made up a few hours ago, and he really didn't want them to fight again, "So…what do we do…?"

"Yeah!" A totem screamed as it floated next to him.

"What do we do?" Another totem said.

"Yeah!" A third said.

"Look out, Ant!" Happy dove at him. He picked him up and took flight, as a green explosion sounded below them, once the smoke cleared, he set the Emerald Knight down.

The Emerald Knight looked around, "What in damnation were those?"

"It's Bickslow!" Happy swallowed hard.

"So, you're the new guy I've been hearing so much about." Bickslow grinned, sticking his tongue out, he was standing on top of a toy store, "You supposed to be a knight or something?"

The Emerald Knight glared at him, seeing his visor, "I should be asking you that. I don't appreciate knaves like you dressing up like us and sullying our name!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bickslow asked, "You know what, whatever, just get him, babies!"

The Emerald Knight lowered his stance slightly and held his shield out, blocking the laser blasts from the little totems, "When I'm through with you…" He fumed, "You'll be without a guild."

"Yeah right." Bickslow laughed, "By the time this is all over, Laxus will be the new master!"

"Happy, who is this imbecile?"

"He's Bickslow, he uses Seith Magic, meaning he can control those dolls at will." Happy said, "He's part of the Thunder Legion, Laxus's bodyguards."

The Emerald Knight looked up. Because he was freed from stone, Evergreen was already defeated, so if he defeated Bickslow, not only would that reduce their opponents to two people, but he could possibly help in future battles depending on how quickly he ended this one. He then started chuckling. Five dolls. Twelve swords. This fight was as good as over.

"You'll have to forgive me for wrapping this up so quickly with you!" The Emerald Knight raised his lance once there was a lull in their firepower, "Swords of Retribution!" Twelve green swords of plasma formed behind him, seeking and destroying all five totems, popping them almost like fireworks.

"No! My babies!" Bickslow gasped, almost looking as if he were going to cry.

The Emerald Knight smiled, "I suggest you surrender now before I have to use anymore force. Now with you out of the way, I can go defeat those other two, Laxus and his lackey."

"No…my babies!" Bickslow mourned, then a slasher smile appeared on his face, "Just kidding."

"What?" The Emerald Knight asked, but it was cut off as he was shot in the back by five green laser beams. He coughed up blood and rolled in the ground, crashing into the guard wall. He got up slowly, covered in mild wounds, "What…but…but I already…" His eyes widened, seeing five toys flying around in a formation similar to the totems he destroyed.

"You can wreck all the dolls you want, I'll just move their souls into new bodies!" Bickslow stuck his tongue out.

"What…move their…souls…?"

"That's right!" The dolls sang, starting to fly into the Emerald Knight cloaked in a green light. The Emerald Knight was able to block some of them with his shield, but occasionally he would flinch when hit from behind.

"Just below us is a toy shop!" Bickslow said, "For someone like me, that's a never-ending armory of troops!" He laughed, "You know, that shield is kinda making it hard to deal decisive damage on you. Let's get rid of it. Baryon Formation, babies!"

The five dolls spun in a slow circle, gradually increasing speed, until a giant green laser beam fired down at the Emerald Knight.

The Emerald Knight's eyes widened in fear, an attack like that did have the potential to break his shield, and maybe even kill him.

"No!" Happy screamed.

The Emerald Knight dove out of the way, sparring him from the initial blast, but the aftershock send him flying. He bit back blood as he skidded against the ground. He wheezed as he stood up, "Damn it all…" He said. Not only did he _vastly_ underestimate the Thunder Legion, but it looked like he was going to be killed here and now too.

"So…you ready to give up…knight guy?" Bickslow cackled.

The Emerald Knight panted, "I will not lose…not here…"

"Alright, thought I'd give you a chance to surrender, finish him, babies!"

The Emerald Knight looked up in fear as the five dolls flew down at him. He held his lance out at them, prepared to take them out in one attack, "Flare Star!" The tip of his lance glowed with a bright green light, as green fire spewed out and hit all the dolls, gradually burning them until they were unrecognizable.

"Hmm, didn't expect to see a fire attack from ya." Bickslow said, then he just laughed and laughed, "But, how many times do I have to tell you, destroying my babies won't do anything, I'll just get new ones!"

The Emerald Knight cringed as he was shot from behind again, "Happy…" He whispered, "Fly me up to the fool…"

"Aye!" Happy picked him up and flew him up towards Bickslow.

"You'll have to pardon me for knocking you off your pedestal!" The Emerald Knight drew his lance back.

"No, stay back! Babies, get him!" Bickslow said.

"Emerald Hawk!" A cawing sound was heard as the plasma hawk materialized on his lance, since it never left his lance, it was bristling with electrical energy. He slashed Bickslow in the torso, blood splashing out as Bickslow fell back, screaming in pain. The Emerald Knight and Happy landed opposite him.

The Emerald Knight let out a chuckle, "I suppose we're on a level playing field now, knave."

Bickslow spit blood to the side, "Damn it…" He took his visor off, "Guess I'll have to use these…" He sported dark blue hair in a varied array of crests, almost like a Mohawk, as well as a stick-figure like tattoo on his face. His eyes glowed bright green, "Figure eyes!"

"Ant, don't look into his eyes!" Happy said, covering his eyes.

"What?" The Emerald Knight asked, closing his eyes.

"Everyone in the Thunder Legion has an attack that uses their eyes!" Happy said, "Bickslow will control your soul and turn you into a doll if figure eyes hits you!"

"Hmm, well, with all your eyes shut like this, I guess I win." Bickslow chuckled.

The Emerald Knight didn't understand what he meant at first, but then he felt the painful rips of laser fire burning through him. He fell to his knees, completely helpless, "What…what do we do…?"

"I don't know, but if you open your eyes, it's game over!" Happy said.

Bickslow laughed and laughed, with his tongue sticking out, "No one can beat my combination of figure eyes and Seith puppetry!"

The Emerald Knight shivered in pain. If this kept up, he would pass out at the very least. There had to be a way around this combination, or else he'd be letting everyone down.

That's when it hit him. Bickslow wore a visor, and with it, it protected his friends, presumably the rest of the Thunder Legion, from falling victim to figure eyes. The Emerald Knight put a hand on his own helmet, lowering his visor. He smiled, it was always the biggest critique Miranda had given him, that he always forgot to lower his visor before entering battle.

"Shit, he can see again." Bickslow said, "It doesn't matter, fire away, babies!"

There was something else the Emerald Knight noticed, it was even more obvious when Bickslow took his visor off. There was a huge bruise on his jawline, as if a previous opponent punched him there was everything he had. As he held his shield up to block some of the blasts, he ran at Bickslow, holding his lance out, "Flare Star!" He elegantly slashed his lance through the air this time, causing the fire attack to be thinner, yet cover more ground. This effectively destroyed some of the totems while blocking all the immediate firepower.

"Pfft, whatever, I'll just get more babies." Bickslow said.

The Emerald Knight sheathed his lance, holding a fist back, as his gauntlet began to glow bright green, "Gauntlet Hammer!" He punched Bickslow right in the face, the same spot where Gray had hit him. Bickslow gave a high-pitched scream as he fell back, this time his injuries were too much and he didn't get up.

"You did it!" Happy jumped up and down.

The Emerald Knight sighed, dusting himself off, "Well, it was barbaric, but it was still a victory…"

"I don't remember ever seeing that 'Flare Star' attack." Happy said, "Is that new?"

The Emerald Knight nodded. It wouldn't necessarily give him that much of a boost in battle, a fire attack is interesting, but it wouldn't really provide him with that much of an edge against an opponent. But, if Natsu was ever low on strength, if he ever needed help, than this time, unlike that time against Gajeel in the Phantom's giant robot of a guildhall, the time that still haunted him to this very day, he would have a means of giving Natsu strength no matter who their opponent was.

* * *

 **A/N:** Can't wait to jump into the next chapter…well, what'd you think? Let me know with a review! Thanks for reading!


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N:** Here's chapter forty-five! Sorry again for the pause, I got a wee bit sick, and I've been juggling fics…oh well, here's one of my favorite fights! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

"Holy crap!" Natsu screamed, at a bit too loud of a volume for the other two, "Ant beat Bickslow! Ant beat Bickslow!"

"No way, that little princess can actually fight?" Gajeel asked, dumbfounded.

"Hey, he can be pretty strong when you least expect it."

"I knew he could do it." Levy smiled and looked up, "I'll do my part too!"

"What? He's a knight." Natsu said, "Last time I check, knights are pretty powerful."

"Pfft…maybe Titania, but Ant moves slower than a snail with all that armor on…and _I'm_ saying that…" Gajeel said, "They said no one could ever be slower than me, and I thought it was true too, but then I met your pipsqueak friend…"

"Now if I could only crack this part…" Levy turned back to her notes.

"Come on, speed isn't everything…" Natsu said.

"I still don't think he's all that impressive." Gajeel said.

"Maybe I just have to…" She sighed and scratched her head, "Rewrite the enchantment…?"

"Haven't you ever heard about the tortoise and the hare?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah, I get it, the dumb bunny lost, even though it was faster. Even still, it's two completely different speeds!" Gajeel argued.

"But that's the biggest problem…" She closed her eyes, before it clicked, "That's it!" She sat up and pointed at Natsu and Gajeel, "You have to decrypt the two grammatical points at two different speeds!" She started jotting stuff down again, "If I take the integers of the letters that are the product of the time differential, and convert it using Gheel grammar, only then translating it to rogue…" She kept writing and writing, until she sat up with a bright look on her face, "I've done it!" She held the sheets up.

"Wow, really?" Natsu beamed.

"You did?" Gajeel asked.

"Just hold tight a second, I have to rewrite the enchantment." She skittered off with her notes, but not before turning her shoulder and smiling, "I hope you two are ready to join the Battle of Fairy Tail."

"Hell yeah!" Natsu cheered.

"Time to kick some ass!" Gajeel crossed his arms with a grin.

* * *

The city of Magnolia was vacant. An empty bottle of booze rolled across the streets before being kicked aside by a high-heeled shoe.

Her steps stopped as she saw an unconscious but familiar figure, "…Elfman?"

Elfman finally began to slowly wake up, his eyes fluttering open, "M-Mirajane?"

Her eyes instantly began to water as she fell at his side, "Elfman…are you alright…?" She asked softly.

"I…I'm…" He coughed, "So glad you're back to normal…that…you're free…from being stone…"

She closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder with care, "I'm…so…so sorry, Elf…"

"What…what are you…apologizing…for?"

"I just…can't do anything…ever…I'm completely useless…"

"You don't…have to do anything…all you need to do…when this stupid battle is over…is greet everyone at the guild who comes back with a smile…" She bit her bottom lip, then covered her face with her hands and let out a series of choking sobs. "Come…don't cry…Mira…you don't have to cry…"

"Aw…Mira, you okay?" Happy asked as he flew over.

Elfman blinked in surprise, "Ant? Happy? What are you guys doing here?"

"You look worse for wear, Elfman." The Emerald Knight said, covered in bloody injuries and using his lance as a walking stick, more or less.

"Yeah, I lost to Evergreen." He said, "But you should talk, it looks like a train hit you!"

He nodded, "I defeated Bickslow."

His eyes shrunk, "You _beat_ Bickslow?"

Another nod, "Of course, I was aided by Happy."

Mirajane sniffed and rubbed at one of her eyes, "I'm glad you're okay, Ant…"

He gave a small smile, "We should concern ourselves with the last two opponents, or at the very least, find a safe place to hide from them. I want to fight them both, but, none of us seem to be prepared for another battle." He began to lead the way, although slowly, "Who's left anyway?"

"Freed, and then Laxus himself." Happy said, "But…they're incredibly powerful, Ant. You're lucky enough you beat Bickslow…"

He gave a solemn nod, knowing that Cana was out there somewhere right at this very moment. What if _she_ fought Freed, what would the outcome be?

* * *

Cana peered up at the orbs of thunder in the sky, "Juvia, how long do you think until those things…?" She trailed off.

Juvia tilted her head up a bit to glance at them herself, "I would guess a little under an hour."

"Shit." She hissed, "This isn't a battle. Just a goddamn game of hide and seek." She balled her hands up into fists.

Juvia stepped forward and looked around alleyways, "I don't know much about him myself. Is he the type of man to hide somewhere inconspicuous, or…?"

"No. He's the type to hide in plain sight." She sighed, "I 'dated' him for like a week when I was younger, that's all I need to know everything about the little jackass."

"Younger…?" She asked to herself quietly, "It's certainly…not as if you're very old…"

"He's gotta be somewhere high-and-mighty." Cana determined, "But I just don't know where that would be."

"Laxus is conserving his energy." They heard a refined, scholarly voice, "A rather basic construct, is it not?" He tiled his head to the side, Cana and Juvia quickly spotted Freed standing on one of the guardrails of a bridge, "He needs to fight the Master, so he's not going to waste his energy disposing of you lot."

"Freed!" Cana spat out bitterly.

"This is the man behind the enchantment, I'm assuming…" Juvia said softly.

Freed took an unsteady sigh, remembering Laxus's words to him, _"You take out Cana and that weird Phantom girl. I have no need for either of them in my Fairy Tail, put them in a grave."_ He started running away.

Juvia gasped, but Cana only seemed enraged, "Fuck!" She started running, "Don't run away from us, you dick! C'mon, Juvia!"

Hesitantly, Juvia ran after Cana, who chased after the silent Freed. But as he skidded to a halt, Juvia looked back behind them, "Um…Cana…?"

Cana turned over her shoulder, then saw the barrier of an enchantment engraving itself in the dirt, "No, Freed, you bastard!" She ran forward to tackle him, but hit an invisible wall.

Surely enough, they were trapped around a little invisible box, with Freed standing on the outside. Cana pounded on the walls, seething with rage.

Freed crossed his arms and looked away, letting the rule on the Enchantment speak for itself. It read: 'It is forbidden for either wizard to leave the boundaries of this Enchantment until the other is unable to continue fighting'.

Cana's eyes widened as she whirled around and faced Juvia, who had somehow, looked even more pale. "Until the other…is unable…to continue fighting…?" She repeated, her voice was just a ghost of its usual volume.

"I will face the winner." Freed said, looking back at them, "You may begin whenever you are ready."

Cana gave a rather boyish growl before she ran towards the wall and mashed her fists into it, "That's a cowards way out! Damn it, Freed, I knew you were a prude but I never pinned you for a woman! I'll take you on and I bet I'll kick your ass!"

Juvia stood back, her eyes looking distant as she stared at the grass, "This explains why the others fought so willingly…"

"Oh, I get it…you're afraid to fight us both at once, huh?" Cana went on, "Afraid that two little girls are gonna kick your ass? You're just a husk of a man, Freed Justine, can't even handle the thought of getting your ass handed to you. You want your food chewed before it goes near your mouth, well I don't think so! Let me out so we can fight, you chicken!"

Freed's face darkened, "I only wish to limit the amount of blood sullying my hands, is all."

"What was that, you asshole!?"

Juvia sighed and closed her eyes, her body melting away into water, "Since it's come to this, I see I have no other choice…"

Cana turned around, looking a tad nervous, "Juvia…Juvia, wait—"

"Mister Freed." Juvia said, floating up a bit higher with the amount of water sloshing off of her, "If one of us lies unable to battle, you promise you will fight the other without protest?"

Freed gave a nod, "I am a man of my word."

"I'm relieved to hear it." She smiled as more and more of her body turned into water.

"Juvia, you're not…you can't…" Cana stepped back and held her arms up.

"If we fight, we're doing exactly what they want us to do." She said, flying forward against the wall of the enchantment, then bouncing back and forth the walls as she flew higher and higher, Cana looking up in stunned confusion.

Freed looked up as well, with a bit more of a dull confusion than Cana's, "Go as high as you wish, you'll never escape the Enchantment that way."

"If someone is to be defeated…" Juvia closed her eyes as she approached a lacrima, "It will be me…" She smashed herself into the glowing orb.

Cana gasped, "Juvia, you can't take that kind of attack!" She pulled at her hair.

Sure enough, seconds after Juvia smashed into the orb, her body combusted with lightning, which was even more powerful due to the water coating her body. She hit the ground with a deep thud and didn't move, steam rising off of her body. Cana stumbled forward and fell to her side, grasping her arm, "Juvia…"

A deep blue eye peeked open, "Now…the enchantment is gone…" Steam tumbled out past her lips as she spoke, a small, delicate smile gracing her burned face, "Am…am…I…a friend of…Fairy Tail now…?" She gave a single weary giggle before her head rolled over in the dust and she lied completely still.

Cana's eyes shut tight as tears rolled down her cheeks, "You were a friend the moment you joined in our guild, Juvia! Why!?"

Freed stared on in shock. _What sort of twisted logic is this?_ He thought, _She just sacrificed herself so Cana could remain fighting fit?_

Cana whipped herself around and faced Freed with a new definition of fury, "Freed!"

* * *

Natsu surveyed the area, from atop a chimney, "Damn it…I can't Laxus's smell even from up here?" He remembered Levy's words to the duo as they left the guild hall. _"Gajeel, Natsu, listen. Freed set up enchantment traps all over town. If you guys get caught in one, it's over. To prevent that, you have to take separate routes, or you could get stuck fighting each other."_

Gajeel was meanwhile stationed in a tree, he chuckled to himself, chatting with a tiny phantom that was as thin as paper, "Eventually, I'm gonna have to reclaim my honor through a rematch with Salamander. But I wanna beat the shit out of that stupid spark plug first…after all the trouble he's caused…you don't mind, do you, Master Ivan?"

"Right now, your first priority is to gain their trust as a guild mate." The phantom replied in a deep, snide voice, "Don't give them a reason to be suspicious. Just act like just another bumbling fool of Fairy Tail. The time to _punish_ Fairy Tail is still a long while away."

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

"Mirajane…it's okay…" Elfman said, "I can walk on my own…"

"I can't do anything else…" She adjusted him over her shoulder with a slight smile, "So at least let me help you in any way I can."

"Perhaps we should find Erza." The Emerald Knight said, "If she was able to defeat Evergreen so easily, she may have a plan on what our next course of action should be."

"Look out!" Happy pointed, and Cana's body came sailing down from above, smashing into the brick ground. The Emerald Knight went pale.

"Is that…Cana…?" Mirajane gasped.

Cana grunted before she sat up on her hands and knees, wiping blood away from her mouth with a fist.

"Cana…" The Emerald Knight limped over to her side, "Is…is that Juvia over there?" He looked at the unconscious body, "So…this must be Freed…" He looked up at the bridge.

"You may be one of the guild's veterans." Freed said, "But understand that I use that word as loosely as possible. The only reason you haven't passed out yet is most likely because the alcohol in your system has rendered you numb to pain."

"Damn it, Freed, that's a low blow!" Elfman said, "Just fight like a man already!" This statement earned a death glare from Freed.

Cana choked a bit more until the pebble lodged in her throat broke free, "You're going to take that back, you bastard…" Her voice sounded shredded and weary.

Freed pointed his sword at Cana, "Dark Écriture: Pain." Purple characters flew off the tip of his sword and attached to Cana's forehead. Cana clutched her head and screamed in agony until she couldn't scream anymore. She collapsed onto the ground, her eyes shut.

The Emerald Knight was bewildered, "How did he do that? She…she just…" He fell to his knees, "Cana…Cana, wake up…" He begged, "Please…wake up…" When she didn't stir, he clenched his fists, "Happy, go get help, immediately."

"But you can't—"

"Go! I can hold him off!" He stood tall, "I'm the only one who can fight him off!"

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?" Elfman asked as Happy flew off.

"You're too injured from your battle with Evergreen."

"Pfft, you're too injured from your battle with Bickslow! We gotta stick together if we wanna take him out!"

"Very well." The Emerald Knight and Elfman faced Freed.

"So you two are my next opponents?" Freed asked, "Elfman, you've already lost the battle to Evergreen, I shouldn't even _entertain_ fighting you and the newcomer in battle…"

"Be sharp." The Emerald Knight said, "If we fall, he'll attack Mirajane."

"There shouldn't be any fighting at all!" Mirajane argued, "We should all be on the same side, Freed!"

Freed closed his eyes in thought, "At one point, we were all on the same side." He said, prepping his sword, "However, we are trying to restructure the guild to how we see fit. Laxus's enemy is my enemy…"

"Enough of this." The Emerald Knight held his lance up high. His muscles screamed in pain with every movement, and he only got back a little bit of magic energy from the walk from Bickslow's defeat to here, but he had to keep fighting, "I'm not going to let you get away with what you did to Cana! Swords of Retribution!" Twelve glowing swords of plasma fanned out, heading straight for Freed.

Freed looked unimpressed, "Dark Écriture…" As before, one of his eyes turned black, and the center turned purple, "Repel!" He slapped the swords back at the Emerald Knight.

The Emerald Knight gasped, he held his shield out and blocked all the attacks. He had no idea how Freed's magic worked, aside from the obvious Enchantments, but it seemed the man had a trick up his sleeve for each attack.

Elfman meanwhile ran in for a close attack, but this proved unwise, as Freed quickly encrypted a rune on Elfman's chest, "Dark Écriture: Pain!"

Elfman cried out in pain, falling to his knees, "What…what the hell is that…?"

"It's an attack that triggers your body into feeling immense pain." Freed narrowed his eyes, "You're breaking a rule by fighting even as you already have been defeated. And those who break rules will suffer a fate worse than death."

"I have to help." The Emerald Knight ran in, as fast as his withered body could, out of magic no less, it was all he could do. But Freed struck him with a similar attack, screaming as he tried to keep standing. More than that, he tried to slowly move through the shock wave.

Mirajane shuddered with fear, "Stop…please, all of you, you have to stop fighting!" Her eyes were lined with tears, _This is what Laxus wants? Pain?_

Elfman tried to shake off the pain as well, "I will fight you, that's what a man does!" Elfman charged at Freed.

A pronounced vein had appeared in Freed's forehead. He had enough of people talking about 'real men' this and 'real men' that. Cana challenged him for it, and now she lay in the rubble, so this fool would fall as well. Anything to serve Laxus's wishes. "Dark Écriture: Fear!" He struck Elfman with another rune. Elfman yelled and became hysterical, "Dark Écriture: Suffering!" He struck Elfman again, "Pain! Pain! Pain!"

The Emerald Knight's eyes shrunk. He was doing nothing but attacking Elfman, singling him out. In fact aside from batting away his swords, Freed hadn't really launched a direct attack on the Emerald Knight. He charged in, if he could occupy Freed's sword, he wouldn't be able to hurt Elfman anymore. His lance met Freed's sword, and he clashed with his teeth grit.

He had to avenge Cana. Freed backed up in surprise as he took a defensive stance, but whatever strike the Emerald Knight used, Freed parried it easily. Add that Freed was at least a foot taller than the Emerald Knight; it left him terrified. But Elfman's screams of pain and Cana's fallen body fueled a rage inside his heart that couldn't be quelled, no matter how strong Freed was, it showed in the spare green lightning crackling from his lance.

Mirajane, meanwhile, ran to her brother's side, clutching his arm, "Elfman…" She whimpered, watching The Emerald Knight and Freed fight with terrified eyes.

"Ant…" Elfman choked, trying to get up to help him.

"Ant?" Freed repeated, "That can't possibly be your name, can it?"

"I think we're beyond the point of _names_ right now." The Emerald Knight said, "I confess I have no idea how and of your magic works…but I won't let you hurt anyone else."

"I am merely manifesting Laxus's will into action." Freed said, once again, heading to attack Elfman.

The Emerald Knight tossed his shield aside, holding his lance with both hands as he dueled with Freed. He would need them, even with both hands since Freed was able to outmaneuver him, but with his armor on, he would at least be safe, right?

Wrong. "Dark Écriture: Suffering!" He lit the Emerald Knight up with purple runes again. The Emerald Knight screamed, feeling the pain inside him burn to ridiculous levels. He fought to stay conscious, stay awake, but he fell back with a horrendous thud.

"Ant!" Mirajane screamed as she stood up and ran to his side, then to Cana's, then to Elfman's, until she stopped and stood there, like she had witnessed genocide and had no clue who to mourn first.

Luckily, the Emerald Knight showed signs of movement. He tried to get up, but it was impossible. "I…I couldn't avenge Cana…" His eyes were fogged with tears, "What…what sort of a knight am I? What sort of a man am I?" He clawed at the dirt with his gauntlets, but he was still unable to get up, "I must continue! I must fight! If I don't! Mirajane and Elfman will…"

"You did great Ant…" Elfman said, "Now let me take care of this guy…" He wheezed.

"Now it's time for the final attack." Freed said, "Dark Écriture: Death."

All the life in Mirajane's face fled. All the heart, the soul, the girl she was, gone. As shadows consumed her face, they ate away at her mind as well. She saw a man sitting at the bar as she scrubbed the tables.

" _Another round, Mira?"_

" _You drink like this, you'll be worse than Master Makarov." She warned as she poured him another drink._

 _He swatted a mitt, "I'm twice his size, I can handle a little liquor."_

" _Something on your mind?"_

 _And he'd always have the same response, "Nothing worth making a fuss about."_

But it was worth it, wasn't it? If this is what he did, if this is how far he took things, if the death of everyone who ever stood in his way was the only answer.

If the death of her family was the only answer.

 _She saw Lisanna lying on the ground again, her deep blue eyes were milky and full of tears, as her brother's deep grumbles filled the air, "Mira…" Her voice was the weakest Mirajane had ever heard._

" _Lisanna…" Tears pooled down to the ground, "D-Don't move…I'll save you…"_

" _Mira…" She said again, a warm smile on her lips as she raised an arm to her sister's shoulder, slow and weak, "I just…wanted you…to know…"_

 _"Lisanna…" She choked up._

" _That…I…"_

Laxus would pay. He would pay dearly, starting with his own 'guild'. And he would feel it from the barmaid he had ignored for years. From the most useless girl in the guild. Feelings cast aside, Mirajane would not be the only Strauss, even if it meant the death of someone who felt closer than family. She felt rage unlike any other course through her, and yet, a sense of freedom. A dark sense of relief went coursing her veins as she felt the shadows gain more and more control, as a dark magic circle began to spin above and beneath her, her hair and dress getting picked up by the wind.

The Emerald Knight just looked confused. Mirajane was sure to be struck down in moments. This didn't change the fact that he couldn't move, but he wanted to scream at her to run away.

"W-What…what is this magic power…?" Freed shuddered, "It…it's coming from Mirajane?"

Mirajane gave a screech befitting a being from hell as a tidal wave of magic power was unleashed all around. Rocks flew into the air, the ground quaked beneath them all, and wild winds whipped any debris every which way.

Her hair became an untamable mane, her face was that of a demon as well. Pointed fangs, dark lips, and frightening eyes made up her face. Cracks ran along parts of her body, like the darkness inside her was trying to break her apart. She wore a rather revealing leotard now, with the front cut open and embellished ornately. Boots rose up to about her mid-thigh, heels high and pointed. Her hands were now talon-like claws, with nails as long and sharp as knives. A massive tail added to her demonic appearance, thrashing against the ground and churning even more rubble into the air as she let out another hellish screech.

The Emerald Knight felt his mouth and his entire throat go dry, as his jaw dropped further and further. The color swam away from his face, as a persistent shivering ran rapid throughout his body. "The…the She-Devil…"

She then lunged forward, bat-like wings sprouting from her back as she reared a claw back to slash into Freed with no mercy. Blood not only tore from Freed's chest but he coughed a huge amount of it up as well, flying back a good several yards.

He grimaced, "Dark Écriture: Wings!" He sprouted a dark pair of purple wings, keeping flight with Mirajane.

She lashed her claws out to slash him, following him at lightning speeds with every last minute dodge he attempted. She'd slash through any rock that fell into her path like it was butter, eventually catching up to him and flashing back behind him, smashing her fist into his back. Freed flinched as he heard a snap or two, trying desperately to regroup himself.

They finally both faced each other for a split second. The only thing about her that looked vaguely like Mirajane was her bangs, tied up away from her forehead. "Die." Her voice was deep and ominous, not even her own.

 _This…this is Mirajane's forbidden takeover!_ Freed thought, _Satan Soul!_

Mirajane stuck a leg out and flew downward towards Freed, the heel of her boot landing deep in his gut as she kicked him aside like nobody's business.

Freed fell back, nearly crashing through the bridge before he steadied himself with his wings, "It's incredibly risky…but I have no choice left…" He said to himself as Mirajane began to tail him, "The only way I could hope to defeat this demon, if I became one myself! Dark Écriture: Darkness!" Freed's body morphed into a macabre demonic form, a bit burlier, with a skeletal face. He whirled around and flew at Mirajane, his monstrous beefy fists reared back.

Mirajane didn't flinch, or hesitate, or even _think_. It seemed like she was almost completely unaware of Freed's transformation. She flapped her wings and dove forward with a clawed fist to punch his fist right back.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, he had to squint to keep up with the two demons in the sky. He shivered, trying to prop himself up on his arms, but it was futile. Watching Mirajane shred through Freed regardless of what form he was in etched a fear into him that would most likely never be completely shaken off.

Freed gradually found on opening, he blasted a shock wave of darkness at Mirajane and she fell into the nearby lake, leaving a big splash. At last, the tables had been turned. Freed landed a hit, he started gathering some control in the battle again.

That was until the water started creating a small vortex. Then a whirlpool. And sure enough, Mirajane stood in the center, her arms out, as if she was grasping the water. It spun around with her, creating a devastatingly powerful force of water that she threw right at Freed.

Mirajane Strauss had thrown a _lake_ at Freed.

"No…it can't be…that's absurd…" Freed said to himself, "How much magic power does she have, to just be able to control water like that?" He asked, being slammed by the lake. It smashed him back, leaving him completely dazed and wide open.

And of course, Mirajane wasn't going to miss the perfect opportunity to attack. She drew her hands in and started creating some sort of dark magical orb in the palms of her hands, which grew larger and larger, until it was thrown Freed's way.

The size of the orb exploded to the size of a large house, enveloping Freed in its blast. The entire city of Magnolia saw it, thinking it was perhaps a firework.

Well, all but Erza.

As Freed thudded to the ground, a pair of heels was heard landing just a short distance away from him. Her tail thudded to the ground with rage before she ran forward to grab him by the shoulder and punch him in the face, finishing him off. Freed swallowed hard. _I can't win against her!_ He thought, _She has the true power of a demon! She's going to kill me!_

Mirajane's fist suddenly drew back and stopped, just an inch or so before Freed's face. She went still, cold, like a statue. _"…I…I love you…Mira…"_ Her sister gave a warm smile as her eyes slowly closed.

Mirajane fell onto Freed's lap, putting her fist down as she turned back into her usual self, her dress tattered and torn, her face looked beyond remorseful. Freed looked up at her, completely stupefied, his clothes were in no better condition, an entire sleeve of his jacket was missing, "…what…what are you doing…?" He asked fearfully.

"This fight is pointless…" Her voice was back to the soft and gentle octave it usually stayed, not the deep and fearful tone she used when telling him to die.

Tears burned in his eyes, "Spare me your false pity…Mira…just…just finish me off!"

She gave a little smile, then actually giggled before she held his shoulders, like she was trying to gingerly snap sense into him, "But we're guild mates, comrades! We're family, Freed! We laugh together, cry together, move on together."

"No…I don't…I don't need any of you…" He sniffed, "Laxus is my only comrade!"

"Just Laxus?" She asked, then giggled again, "I don't think you realize how silly that sounds." As his eyes widened with shock and confusion, she continued, "There's nothing wrong with depending on one more than others." As she spoke, he recalled Bisca, Alzack Reedus, Team Shadow Gear, _"Freed, you should come help us with the preparations for the parade!"_

"But that doesn't make the others any less of a family." He recalled Natsu and Elfman, _"Wanna try and take me on Freed?"_

Even Cana, Wakaba and Macao, _"Freed, you should come drink with us once and a while, okay?"_

"These bonds can never be broken." Erza's smile when she said, _"You have some impressive skills. Would you be interested in S-Class jobs? I could mention it to the Master. Gladly."_

And Makarov himself, _"I'm counting on you to keep Laxus from acting like too much of a fool…"_ Mirajane smiled warmly, _"Freed."_ She gently took his hand and squeezed it, "We're right here. All of us. Once you finally see that connection…" Her big blue eyes were teary, "You'll never forget that it's there." She gently got off of him and gave him space, "You're surrounded by people who care about you, Freed."

Freed sniffed a bit more, trying not to cry, but it was hopeless, he cried quietly into his hand, confessing quietly, "I…I didn't want it…to come to this…"

"It's okay, Freed." She said softly, gently letting go of his hand, "Let's just try and have fun during next year's Harvest Festival, okay?"

The Emerald Knight watched their conversation. He had thousands of feelings bubbling up inside him, and he was only _watching_. One second, they were having the grittiest fight he'd ever seen, and the other, Mirajane was seemingly rehabilitating Freed on the spot. Mirajane, the barmaid, the woman who he had believed for so long did not fight. Who he thought was defenseless, turned out she was one of the most powerful mages in the guild. It left a mark on the Emerald Knight, this entire event would most likely never leave him. It taught him that there were many more powerful people in Fairy Tail than he first realized, as well as the hidden strength some members were capable of accessing.

And _not_ to judge someone based on their appearances.

* * *

 **A/N:** The fluff scenes coming up are looking more and more interesting with all these conversations on the horizon…let me know what you thought with a review! Thanks for reading!


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N:** Here's chapter forty-six! Now, before you complain about Erza's scant description for her Lightning Empress Armor, she literally requips into it, stands around for a minute, then leaves. She doesn't even _use_ it. I was _really_ tempted to change that part, you know, stray away from the canon, but I also didn't want Laxus to die. Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

 _With the lacrima set up to destroy the entire town, and someone as impatient as Laxus sitting, waiting wherever he is…I just know there's hardly any time left._ Levy looked around, the guild was completely empty, besides herself, but she knew she would do no good out there on the battlefield, _Ten minutes left, and that's being generous._ She tightened her hair into a bun, _Then again, we're not at a complete loss. We have Erza! And…even Gajeel! And I think Mystogan might be in town…despite the fact that…I've never seen him before…_

The doors swung open and Levy jumped, mentally prepared to put on a brave face before she ran away from the lightning mage, before she paused, "…Porlyusica?"  
"Where's Makarov?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I asked where he was!" She snapped.

"Right…" Levy shuddered, pointing with a shaky hand, "I-In the back. Infirmary." Porlyusica grunted, "He's…he's actually not—"

"I know. That's why I'm here."

"Huh? You're here to help him?" Levy asked as she took Porlyusica to the infirmary.

Porlyusica's steps were nearly silent as she walked silently along the old wooden floors, looking over Makarov. She closed her eyes, silent for a beat, "Bring Laxus."

"…huh?"

"I said, bring Laxus. Seems he's too busy playing tag to notice his grandfather's critically ill."

"…critically…ill…?"

But Levy wasn't expecting Porlyusica to turn around with a very, very sour glare. "This may be his last chance."

* * *

" _Laxus…you'd better shape up and help us with Fantasia!"_ Laxus heard his grandfather's voice in his head.

"Damn it old man…" He growled, sitting at the far end of the cathedral, "You have no room to talk!" He was brought back to an earlier time, a handful of years ago, when his father was thrown out of the guild:

"Ever since I was little, people have only seen my as your grandkid!" The teenage Laxus argued in Makarov's office, "No matter what, it's 'Makarov's grandson did this,' 'Makarov's grandson did that,' I can't get any credit for anything I do! I want to be my own person!"

"Credit…it's…all how you look at it, right?" Makarov asked, futzing with his moustache, "I wonder if _anyone_ gets the credit they deserve?"

He snarled and clenched his fists, "He just made one little mistake, and he's out for good, huh?"

"Now Laxus, that isn't—"

"You don't have any sympathy in that damn old body of yours, do you? For your own son?" He screamed, "Why did you banish my dad from the guild?"

Makarov looked down in shame, "He brought harm upon the guild."

"So what? He's always doing stupid stuff! But he's your son, right? We're all family, right?"

"Even if he's family…" Makarov started sternly, "I cannot allow anyone to stay in the guild if they endanger the lives of our guild mates!" He said, "My predecessor did the same thing to protect the guild. That is what it means to be in Fairy Tail!"

He paused, seemingly defeated, "Then…you just gonna kick me out too?" He asked, "Cause I'll just join my dad's new guild…"

"He started a guild?" Makarov's jaw dropped, "D-Do you know where he is?"

"Pfft, don't pretend you give a crap." Laxus started walking off.

"W-Wait!" Makarov shouted, "He left with damaging information about Fairy Tail! If I don't find him, then Fairy Tail is in grave danger!"

"Hmm, guess you should've thought about that before you kicked him out."

"Laxus!"

He stopped at the door, "One day, I'll be stronger than you. I won't do it for Dad, or for anyone else. Just for me." He glared back at Makarov, "So I can be my own man!"

The six minute warning snapped Laxus out of his reverie. His Thunder Palace would go off in six, measly minutes, "This means you have no intentions of giving up…old man…" Laxus said, "I always knew you were a stubborn bastard…"

Footsteps could be heard, as a familiar hooded figure entered the arena.

"Took you long enough." Laxus half-laughed, "Where the hell have you been? Everyone's dead at this point!" Once he calmed down, he said, "Although you actually bothering to participate in _anything_ relating to our guild has got me shocked, regardless."

"Take down the Thunder Palace immediately." Mystogan threatened quietly, "There's a chance we could smooth it over as part of the entertainment."

"Pfft, now's not the time for being a wuss, pal." He got up and opposed Mystogan, "Everyone's been talking about who's the strongest wizard in the guild for years now. Usually, people either mention you, or me."

"It was never a concern of mine." Mystogan said, "In my opinion, Erza was always stronger than me."

"Erza? Nah, she's much too weak! She's nothing compared to us."

"You think Erza's weak?" He challenged, "You must be blind. Then again, you're at the guild even less than I am, one could argue."

"Look, Erza's a joke, but you're different." Laxus smirked, "We're gonna have a fight. Here and now, to see who gets the Fairy Tail throne."

"This is a foolish endeavor." He said, "Is that _really_ all you want?"

"We're going to see who the _strongest_ truly is!" He said, "Mystogan! Or…should I say, the other—" Mystogan pulled a staff out and blasted Laxus at point-blank range with a strong magic attack. Even still, Laxus only moved back a little bit.

"Where did you hear that?" Mystogan narrowed his eyes.

"Who knows? I'll tell you if you beat me." Laxus smiled.

"You'll regret this, Laxus." Mystogan began taking out one staff after another, "Now you're going to witness a magic that's beyond the bound of this world!"

"Bring it on!" Laxus growled, "I'll show you who the strongest is!"

Mystogan planted his scepters into a semi-circle in front of him. "Skyscraper." He said quietly.

At first nothing happened, which rendered Laxus annoyed, or at the very least confused. But then the ground began to melt, in a muddy substance, and Kardia Cathedral shattered to pieces.

"What the…?" He asked, being tied up by several black bands as he zoomed up into space. He had no idea where he was, or where Mystogan was, for that matter. "This…this is impossible…!" He said, looking around. In front of him, a wormhole opened in the cosmic void, and a large black demon stepped out.

Laxus screamed bloody murder as the giant demon began to open its jaws to consume him whole, "What the hell kind of magic is this!?"

The demon was about to have its way with Laxus, until the entire scenery was torn about to ribbons, "Are you serious?" Laxus laughed, unharmed, "That was pitiful!" He said as the last of the illusion wore away, "Do you really think I'd fall for that?"

"Perhaps…" Mystogan said, "But it seems you've been too slow in the uptake…since you are now within the range of my _real_ attack!" As he said this, Laxus looked up, seeing five multicolored circles loom over him, "Now sleep!" Mystogan shouted, "Five Layer Magic Circle: Sacred Song!"

Laxus snickered as the attack went off, his body changing to the consistency of lightning as he avoided the attack, "Now who's slow, huh?"

Mystogan narrowed his eyes as his carefully planned out attack missed. As a battler, he was definitely more of a slower fighter who was more concerned about packing a punch than speed. This could be trouble against someone of Laxus's caliber. He tried to fire off more attacks, multiple short bursts at once, but Laxus was avoiding all of them.

"He dodged that one too?" Mystogan asked, backing away slightly in case Laxus planned for a counterattack.

Laxus laughed, as if this were merely a joke or a training exercise, "I guess you're not half bad."

"Laxus!" Natsu and Erza barged into the church.

Natsu blinked at Erza, "Erza, you're here too?"

"Natsu, how did you manage to escape?" Erza asked.

Natsu blinked and looked around, the hooded figure in front of them confused him, "Hey, who's that?"

"…Mystogan?" Erza asked.

"Ah, ah, ah, don't leave your guard down!" Laxus taunted, blasting a strong beam of lightning at Mystogan, it pelted him in the face and he stumbled back, his hood tumbling back.

Natsu's eyes shrunk to the size of dots once the smoke cleared, "No way…"

"…Jellal…?" Erza brought a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened with shock.

"Holy crap…it is you!" Natsu pointed.

Mystogan, or Jellal, or whoever he was, looked unnerved that he was unmasked in front of so many people. He swallowed hard, as a bead or two of sweat ran down the side of his face.

"You're…alive…" She squeaked out in a very un-Erza like way.

"Hmm." Laxus said, "So you guys have seen him before…"

"What the hell does this even mean?" Natsu asked, bewildered, "Is Mystogan actually _Jellal?_ "

"Erza…" Mystogan said, his voice sounding exactly like Jellal's now that his mask was gone, "You…are the one person…who I never wished to see me…"

"W-What….?" The confused nerves and excitement on her face dropped to a stone cold face of shock.

"I am not Jellal." He said, "I…uh…I know of him. But, I am not him." He said, completely whirling around to face the exit, "Forgive me, I'll leave the rest to you." He walked off.

"Hey!" Natsu snapped. "You can't just _leave!_ Aw…I am way too confused right now about this Mystogan thing! But forget it! I need to beat Laxus!" He looked at Erza, "You ready?"

Erza stared forlornly where Mystogan walked off, her entire body trembling weakly, her lips slightly parted. It was as if the two of them were on a different universe, and he left her there alone.

"Hey, Erza! What the hell are you thinking about? You ready or not?"

A devastating bolt of lightning smashed into Erza, lighting up her body as the voltage surged through her. "Well, if you guys are just gonna _stand there_ , then I have no use for fighting you." Laxus said.

"Laxus!" Natsu screamed, "I told you that I was gonna take you on, you piece of—"

"Natsu? When did you get here?" He taunted.

Natsu wilted, before eventually steadying himself, "That's it! We're going to have our little battle at last!" He started running up to Laxus.

One of Erza's eyes peeked open as she struggled to get up onto her hands and knees, but failed. "Alright, enough of this little joke." Laxus held a hand out, blasting lightning at Natsu.

Natsu jumped in the air, avoiding the attack, "Fire Dragon's Talons!" He lashed a flaming kick at Laxus, but Laxus was able to easily block it with his forearm. "Damn…this guy is stronger than I thought…" Natsu muttered, getting hit in the face by a lightning kick from Laxus. He coughed up blood and tumbled back.

He hardly had enough time to escape that, as Laxus grabbed his arm with a wicked smirk, "You're not running away!" He sent a current of electricity through Natsu's body.

Natsu wrapped his arm around Laxus's, smirking himself, "Who said I was running?" He loosed a bit of fire to burn Laxus, "I'm not going anywhere as long as you're still standing!"

Laxus growled, the competition started now. Laxus would send an electric current throughout Natsu's body, while Natsu retaliated by burning Laxus's arm. Both their arms were linked together and they showed no signs of letting go, even though they shocked and burned each other over a dozen times. With their free hands, they kept punching each other in the face, one with a flaming fist, and one with an electrified one.

After what felt like ages, Laxus broke free from Natsu's grip, kicking him aside and stomping on him with an electrified foot. Natsu coughed up blood from where he lay. Natsu distanced himself from Laxus, wearily getting up, as electricity crackled off his battered body.

Erza suddenly seemed to fly out of nowhere, _I have to stop thinking about Jellal or Mystogan or whoever he is and just focus on Laxus!_ She materialized her sword and swung it down towards Laxus.

"Erza!" Natsu smiled, "Glad to see you back!" He said, as Laxus avoided her attack.

"Those lightning lacrima in the sky." Erza drew her blade back, "Your doing?" She locked eyes with Laxus.

"Ha! That's my Thunder Palace!" Laxus held his arms out, "You don't know what it does?"

"There's no way even someone as heartless as you would use that to attack an entire town of innocent people."

"Ha, ha, ha, hey! It's the new rule! Even though it _pains_ me to do so."

She growled, allowing raw anger to fill her mind, "You sick bastard!" She reared a leg back to kick him in the face, but Laxus smugly caught her foot, smiling.

"You only got two minutes left." He warned.

"Two…?" She gasped, "Natsu!" She called, "You need to go get rid of the lacrima, now!"

"I can't!" Natsu said, "Even if I did do it in that amount of time, they'd kill me!"

She glared at Laxus, "You used Organic Link Magic?" She hissed.

"You got it. No one can lay a finger on them."

She grit her teeth, "You contemptable son of a—"

Laxus growled, sending her back flying with a massive bolt of lightning. Erza grunted as she skidded back, but the familiar sound of her requip was heard before she eventually stood back to her feet.

The armor was golden and light bluish in color, something about it seemed light and invigorating. The breastplate was decorated with golden trim, with thin plates going up around her neck. Her head was adorned with two ribbons, her hair now styled in a long braid. With the armor came a long spear with a shield-like attachment at the top, which was adorned by a large ribbon. Her gloves were dark and thick, like rubber, as were the almost rubber-boot-like socks beneath her plated boots.

Laxus laughed and laughed. He had been laughing at this and that for the entire fight, but this time he was really enjoying himself, "Your Lightning Empress Armor?" He asked, "Ha! You think you can reduce the damage from my attacks with _that?_ "

"Come on, Erza! Save some of him for me!" Natsu pleaded, " _I_ want to be the one to take him out!"

Erza whirled around and faced Natsu, her eyes slightly narrowed as she seemed to think about something, before she said, "I can trust you with this?"

"Huh?" Natsu asked, then as Erza started retreating, he said, "Hey, wait! Where the hell are you going?" He asked, then his arms dropped down to his sides, "No way…you're gonna try and stop the Thunder Palace, aren't you?"

"Ha!" Laxus laughed, "Can't be done! Go ahead and take _one_ of them out, and you'll probably die! And there are at least three-hundred of them in the sky! You're out of time! You lose!"

"Not if I destroy them all at once." She said firmly.

"Pfft, yeah right! That's impossible!" He said, "You'll die if you even try to destroy _one_ of them!"

"And maybe I will." She started walking out, "But the town wouldn't." She turned to face Natsu, "You're going to stop Laxus. Understood?"

"You think you can break the rules of _my_ game?" Laxus looked furious.

"And I can trust you, right Erza?" Natsu looked back at her, "I ain't talking about what can and can't be done!" He shouted, "I'm talking about trusting you to stay alive!"

"Considering you saved my life…I have no intention of throwing it away." She said softly before she ran off into the town.

"Damn it!" Laxus ran to give chase to Erza.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu blasted Laxus back several feet with his fiery breath. He clenched his fists, "You're not going anywhere! I'm gonna be the one to take you down!"

"You little brat!" Laxus snarled, as lightning sparked off his body.

* * *

 **A/N:** Did I mention I love this arc? Cause I love this arc. Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought with a review!


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N:** Here's chapter forty-seven! At long last, the great battle with Laxus! Did I mention I love this arc? Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

Laxus blocked yet another one of Natsu's attacks, "Even someone as dense as _you_ can't miss it, Natsu! How watered-down and weak the guild is now! I'm here to change it!" He held his arms out, "But to change it, I gotta be the new master!"

He looked back at the clock, there was a little over a minute left until the Thunder Palace would go off, "What the hell, old man?" Laxus asked, "Aren't you scared of what's gonna happen to you and all of your little fairies?"

"Quit your worrying, Laxus! Nothing's gonna happen!" Natsu smiled.

"What was that?"

"You got nothing to gain by smashing the town to pieces." He said, "So now you want out of your _own_ plan. But I wouldn't worry, Erza's gonna stop it for you!" He ran at him with a flaming fist, "Not so easy sticking to your guns, eh Laxus?"

"Shut the hell up!" Laxus roared, his own fist lightning up with electricity, "What the hell do you know?" Their fists collided, causing a miniature explosion.

* * *

She stood motionless, her scarlet hair catching in the breeze as she gazed up at the countless swords she had conjured up in the sky. "This is for the entire town of Magnolia." Erza told herself quietly, "So please…" She closed her eyes, an image of a silly-looking blue haired boy grinning at her as she faced the sky, "Lend me your strength…"

As she closed her eyes and drifted into a meditative state, feeling her magic meter drain with every sword she summoned, time passed in what felt like seconds. She opened her eyes when there was hardly any magic left, perspiration coated her forehead, "One hundred…ninety eight…" She tumbled forward on her hands and knees, gasping for air, "More…more…more…" She gripped the stone path, "I haven't reached my limit yet…I can't…" Her eyes teared as she looked up at the sky, "There isn't enough time for this…"

She let her forehead hit the ground as she summoned two more, "A hundred more…I need a hundred more…I can't…" She sat up and looked at the lacrima, wondering if her death would fall before she could even save a single soul.

" _Hey! Everyone! Can you hear me?"_ Warren's voice echoed into her head, _"This is an emergency! Look up at the sky!"_

"Warren…?" Erza asked breathlessly.

" _Everyone who's down, get up!"_ Warren urged.

"What's this?" The Emerald Knight asked, a few feet away with his group, "Why is there a voice in my head?"

"It's Warren." Elfman said, carrying Juvia over his shoulder, "He's using telepathy."

" _Everyone still battling, break it up!"_ Warren said, _"Listen to me! Those things in the sky are magic mines about to reign down havoc on everyone! All of them are going to destroy the town! It's Laxus's magic! We need to act now!"_

"Still…destroying the lacrima will cause harm to ourselves…shall we go ahead and attack anyway?" The Emerald Knight asked quietly.

"No, we need to come up with a plan of some sort…" Erza said softly, trying to sound strong, "We can't uselessly throw away our lives."

"That voice!" Gray exclaimed, putting a hand on Warren's shoulder so his voice could be broadcasted, "It's Erza! She's okay!"

" _Wait, Erza's not stone anymore?"_ Warren asked, _"That's great!"_

"Gray?" Erza asked, "It's nice to hear you again too…" She gave a small smile.

"Hey, if Erza's okay, then what about the other girls?" Droy asked from afar.

"Is Levy okay?" Jet asked.

"Everyone seems fine." Cana said, casting her tired eyes over towards the still unconscious Juvia. "For now."

"I think I last saw Bisca and Levy in the guild." Mirajane said.

" _Hmm, for some reason, my telepathy won't make it to the guild."_ Warren said, _"But in any case, those things in the sky—"_

"Warren!" Max interrupted, "How can you forget what you've done to me?"

" _Max! I'm uh…look, I'm sorry, but I was just looking out for the girls, is all…"_

"Oh yeah, that's right…" Jet fumed, "Alzack, wherever you are, you're going down!"

"Damn it Macao, it's time for round two!" Wakaba said.

"Vijeeter you bastard, I'm taking you out!" Nab said.

Gray frowned, eventually screaming into Warren's ear, "Would you guys save your petty arguments for later!" He said, "This is what Laxus wants, to divide us, we need to work together to destroy all those lacrima!" He said, at an attempt to rouse everyone, (thought it was doubtful that Warren appreciated the screaming in his ear).

"Wait!" Erza cried out, "They have Organic Link Magic!"

"We'll tear these things down!" Max cheered.

"Alright Vijeeter, we'll save our fight for after this." Nab said.

"Macao, maybe sleep this one off, I'll handle this." Wakaba said.

"Hey, don't go showing off you old man!" Macao snapped.

Erza's eyes closed as she listened to their plans. "Listen up." She demanded, standing tall and snatching a sword from the sky to help her up, "I'll take two hundred to the north. You all take the rest to the south. Am I clear?"

"You're going to take two-hundred out by yourself?" She heard a low-pitched voice behind her, which could only belong to the Emerald Knight.

She gave a single chuckle, "I'll be fine, Ant."

"Then I hope you don't mind if I take out twelve." The Emerald Knight smiled as he took his lance out.

"Just please…" She closed her eyes as she raised her hands in the air, "Be careful."

He nodded, walking off a bit to find some unattended lacrima.

"Make sure every single one gets taken out!" Gray shouted, setting off an Ice-Make: Lance.

"Swords of Retribution!" The Emerald Knight summoned his twelve swords to aid Erza's two-hundred.

Once all the attacks were launched, the Thunder Palace exploded in a bright yellow spectacle, causing many of the civilians to easily mistake them for fireworks. When the attacks ended, the sky was all clear.

"We did it…" Erza's eyes teared up, "I love Fairy Tail…." She closed her eyes before the lightning kicked in and electrocuted them all.

The Emerald Knight cried out in pain, as did everyone else. He was naturally resistant to most electric attacks, but even still, this was at the _very least_ going to render him unconscious for a while. He thudded on the ground.

"Damn it…Ant…" Gray coughed, "Trying to show us up like that…by taking out twelve…"

"What can I say…?" The Emerald Knight wheezed, "Erza's energy is infectious…"

"We…we really do have one hell of a guild…don't we?" Wakaba asked.

"It'd be even better if Laxus wasn't in his rebellious phase…" Macao laughed weakly.

"You said it…" Wakaba said.

"Droy…Jet…you guys okay?" Alzack asked.

"Yeah…thanks Alzack…" Jet said.

"Hey…Vijeeter…" Nab said, "Don't go dying on me now!"

"Glad to see you're still in one piece…you old fart…" Macao said.

"Hey, you were the one I was really worried about…" Wakaba said. The only chatter that could have been heard for the next few minutes were all the guild mates checking to see if everyone was alright.

* * *

The timer on the Thunder Palace dipped beneath the forty-five second mark, and then the thirty second mark, until it went offline completely.

"See?" Natsu asked, as Laxus stood there in shock, "All these people in the guild are friends, buddies, they all got their own little circles. So, where's this guild that needs changing so much?" He asked, "And worse than that, how is a jerk like you who can't even understand who everyone in the guild is be their master?"

Laxus seethed with rage, lightning flashing off his body as he roared, "By taking control!"

"Cut the crap, Laxus!" Natsu held his arms defensively from all the yellow flashing, "You'll never get control of Fairy Tail now!"

"I will…" He said slowly, "Yes…I…I never needed these tactics from the start…I should have just trusted everything to my power! Unstoppable power is my very identity, you know!"

"So when I overpower you, you'll finally give up?" Natsu ran at him, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Laxus caught his fist easily, snickering darkly, "You'll be the first casualty…" He zapped Natsu where he stood, "Ha, ha, ha, come and get me Fairy Tail! I'll win either way!"

Natsu tried to find an opening, but Laxus was too fast, making the ensuing fight pretty one-sided. Laxus pummeled him for minutes on end, electricity shattered around both their bodies like broken glass as Laxus gave it his all. Natsu crashed into the floor of one of his most recent attacks, getting up slowly.

"Damn…" He said, "He's g-good…but…I guess I should have expected as much…"

Laxus held a fist up, "That roar you hear is the call of lightning to earth…"

Natsu tried to move away from his range, but electricity sparked off his body, "Damn it…not good…can't move…"

"It will fall from the heavens and turn all into ash…"

"No…"

"Raging Bolt!" A horrendous amount of lightning crashed down from the ceiling, ready to obliterate Natsu. When the smoke cleared, he was gone.

Laxus laughed and laughed, a borderline insane howl, "Who's the strongest in the guild now, Natsu?" He asked, "I guess you can't answer, being blown to dust and all! Ha, ha, ha!"

"You know, I may be new to this, but wasn't he supposed to be on your side?"

"What?" Laxus turned to the new voice.

Gajeel shook his head, "This is just stupid. Take it from me, pal, if you're this happy about blowing someone to dust, then you got a screw loose." He said, holding Natsu with one hand, "But technically, he ain't blown to dust just yet. Cause that's _my_ job."

"Gajeel…?" Natsu asked, winded.

Laxus snickered, "What, so it's you again? Remember the last time we saw each other in the park? You really want to live through that again, pal?" He smirked, "People who get in my way just end up in a world of hurt, trust me!"

"Beat it…" Natsu said, trying to weakly get up, "I'm the one to take Laxus out…"

"I got a score to settle with him." Gajeel said, "Besides, with Makarov's blood in him, he ain't exactly gonna be easy, now is he? It sucks, and I hate to admit it. But we're gonna have to team up on him."

Natsu's jaw dropped as he stood up, "Don't…don't even joke about that! I'm taking out Laxus myself…besides…I would never team up with _you!_ "

"Open your damn eyes!" Gajeel snapped, "I want you to take a good long look at your buddy Laxus." He said, as the man in question panted ravenously, laughed to himself, and muttered about killing people, "He's completely lost his mind." Gajeel went on, "He may have been your friend in the past, but he's a completely different person now. Not only that, but we're the only hope left. Everyone else either had to beat themselves senseless because of the Enchantment's rules, or were knocked out cold by the Thunder Palace. Do you have any idea what would happen if we _don't_ stop him?"

"Hmm." Natsu thought it over, crossing his arms, "Jeez Gajeel, this is a new side of you alright, first was that thing you said to Levy, and now you want to actually _protect_ our guild…"

Gajeel frowned, "Will you ever let that go?"

"But I thought there wasn't room in the sky for two dragons."

"There ain't." Gajeel grinned, "But I can't think straight with all this damn lightning in the sky."

"Fine. But this'll be the only time we ever do this."

"Hell yeah, I'm fighting you next!"

"So let's do it!"

Of course, even with Gajeel at Natsu's side, Laxus was able to battle both of them at even footing. He smacked Natsu back with a lightning bolt, and Natsu went flying.

Gajeel caught Natsu with one hand, skidding back a bit, "Use your breath attack." Gajeel urged, "I'm gonna give you a little boost."

Natsu nodded, Gajeel throwing him at Laxus, "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

Laxus held his arms out defensively, taking the hit moderately well. What he didn't notice was that Natsu's attack created a lot of heat and smoke, which Gajeel more or less used to hide his own attacks under.

"Iron Dragon's Club!" Gajeel lashed a club out at Laxus, who evaded it, but with his free hand, Gajeel launched another attack, "Iron Dragon's Sword!" He cut through Laxus, a bit of blood dripping onto the ground as Laxus grimaced.

Laxus leaped in the air, sending out hundreds of tiny electric shockwaves at the duo. Natsu jumped up a similar distance, holding both his hands close towards one another, "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" Laxus's eyes widened, he was hit, falling towards the ground.

"Iron Dragon's Lance!" Gajeel ran under where Laxus was about to fall, stabbing him in a flurry of strikes, "Demon logs!"

Laxus's bloodied body tumbled back against the stone ground, he let out a spare cough before slowly getting up.

"Fire Dragon's…" Natsu started.

"Iron Dragon's…" Gajeel said.

"Roar!" The both finished, smashing Laxus back even further.

As the smoke from the explosion cleared, Laxus laughed, though he did look slightly worse for wear, "Both of you together, and this is all you can manage?" He laughed, "You should be ashamed to call yourselves dragon slayers!"

"That's impossible!" Gajeel sputtered, "I don't care how powerful this guy is, no one can take that much dragon slayer magic and still stand! It ain't possible!"

"The answer is so simple." Laxus chuckled evilly, "I always hated the old man's lectures, so I kept it a secret all this time…" He said as his fangs got more pronounced, his shirt came off and his physique grew to ridiculous levels, "So just this once, I'll show you…"

"You…you gotta be kidding me…" Natsu's jaw dropped.

"This ain't real…" Gajeel said.

"Lightning Dragon's…" The black tattoos on his torso seemed to be more pronounced now that he was showing his true colors.

"Laxus…you were a dragon slayer this whole time?" Natsu asked.

"Roar!" A large yellow wave of light passed by, obliterating everything in sight, turning half the church to rubble and sending Natsu and Gajeel flying back.

"You two still alive?" Laxus asked as the smoke cleared.

"Damn it…I can't move again…" Natsu fumed.

"Why don't you just die?" Laxus growled, a golden light coming from the ground, "You two…Mystogan…Erza…the old man…the idiots in the guild…the town of Magnolia…" He gave a feral roar, "You should all be wiped out from existence!"

Natsu and Gajeel looked unnerved. Previously, all of Laxus's attacks were a bright yellow, not gold. This could only mean one thing.

"What…what is this ridiculous amount of magic power…?"

"I know this feeling…it's just like the Master's…"

"I invoke…" Laxus held both his hands together, the golden light getting even more blinding, "Fairy Law!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Doesn't even confirm the fact that he's a dragon slayer before he just tries to kill them with Fairy Law…ah, good ol' broken Laxus. Thanks for reading! Let us know what you thought with a review!


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N:** Here's chapter forty-eight! Last chapter of the Battle of Fairy Tail arc…I'm gonna miss him… :') Hope you also don't happen to mind the little sending off gift I gave him… ;) Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

"Fairy Law…" Gajeel swallowed hard, "That's the same attack that took Master Jose out in one shot!"

"Don't…don't do it…Laxus…!" Natsu said, trying to crawl forward.

"It…it takes out everyone who the caster sees as an enemy…right?" He asked, "So that means we're screwed…"

The door flew open and slammed against the wall, "Laxus!" Levy's voice carried far for such a tiny girl, "You have to stop, now!"

"…Levy…" Gajeel's eyes widened, "What the hell are you doing here? Get out! This isn't a place for you!"

"It's the Master!" She called, pausing as Laxus failed to respond at all, "Your grandfather! He's dying!" She screamed, tears appearing in her eyes that she couldn't blink away, no matter how hard she tried, "So stop being an idiot and go see the Master at least one more time!"

"D-Dying…?" Natsu asked, "Gramps is…?"

"Laxus!" Levy screamed, trying to summon the man's attention.

Laxus, on the other hand, looked positively blissful, "Dying, huh? Perfect. That means my chances of being Master are born anew!"

Gajeel grit his teeth. His grandfather was on the verge of death and all he was concerned about was advancing his position, "Bastard…" He muttered.

Laxus laughed loudly, "Good riddance, Fairy Tail! I'll start the whole thing over from scratch! It'll be the world's strongest guild! One that can't lose! One that'll make everyone else shudder in fear with its might!"

"No…" Levy buried her face in her hands, shuddering with terror.

"Don't do it…" Natsu rasped, "Are you…crazy…?"

"Fairy Law!" Laxus clapped his hands over the golden light, as a result, a bright golden wave blinded everyone on the field.

The cataclysmic light show traversed through the church, wrecking whatever was left of it and carrying out towards the town itself, covered everyone in the light of destruction. It took many moments for the light to finally clear away.

Laxus panted, a grin of victory spread all over his face. "I finally did it…" He told himself, "I finally surpassed the old man…" His grin grew, then it faded once he heard Levy cough, and sure enough, Natsu and Gajeel looked unfazed as well. "What…what the hell…this is impossible!" He clenched his fists, "Why the hell is no one dead?" He bellowed.

Gajeel finally rose to his feet, limping over to Levy, "Hey, you okay?"

She gave a weak smile, wafting the dusty air in front of her face, "Yeah, I'm fine." She said softly, her eyes then drawn towards the devastated Laxus, "How's Natsu?"

"Eh, I'm sure he's fine…"

"What the hell's going on?" Laxus raged, "With that much magic power forced down their throats, there's no way anyone would survive!"

"The members of the guild…" A new voice said, "As well as the people in town. Everyone's fine."

"Freed?" Laxus whirled around to the battle-damaged Freed.

"Not a single soul died."

"There's no way! The execution of Fairy Law was perfect!"

"I don't doubt your magic, Laxus." Freed took a deep breath, leaning against the doorway, "But it was your heart that affected the outcome of the spell." He explained, "You inherited more than just strength and power from the Master. You also got his heart, whether you like it or not. Fairy Law affects those only the caster sees as their enemy. Do you understand what this means?"

"The magic saw deep in his heart…" Levy's big doe eyes softened.

"Magic cannot lie, Laxus." Freed smiled, "You have the Master's heart, just accept it."

"No!" Laxus growled, "Anyone who stands in my way is an enemy! All those idiots at the guild, they're my enemy!"

"Oh, stop it, Laxus. Just go see the Master."

"I don't give a damn about that old man!" Laxus yelled, electricity crackling off of him, "I'm not his grandson! _I'm not his grandson!_ I am _Laxus!_ Laxus, you hear me!"

"Yeah, everyone knows that." Natsu said as he got up, "Don't get a swelled head, you bastard. You think you can strut around and act like you own us just because you're the Master's grandson?" He asked, "Don't you know that blood ties don't matter! Because everyone is family in the Fairy Tail guild!"

"What the hell do _you_ know?" Laxus asked.

"I know it's time for you to wake up, and it's time for this nightmare to end for us!" Natsu ran forth with a flaming fist.

"Shut up, Natsu!" Laxus defended with a fist of lightning.

Gajeel, Levy, and Freed stood back, half-surprised the two of them could still _fight_.

"Get out of my sight you stupid brat!" Laxus snarled.

"I'm gonna be the one to stop you!" Natsu said, "You won't get this guild, even if it kills me! Cause it's a home for all of us!"

Laxus beat his punch back, sending out a few bolts of lightning which all hit Natsu, "Jeez, can't you even _die_ right?" He roared.

Levy gasped as Natsu tumbled to the ground, "No, Natsu!"

When Natsu didn't get up for a few seconds, Laxus smiled, "I knew there wasn't a chance for a little punk like you to beat me."

"The guild doesn't belong to you…" Natsu tried to get up, "I'm not going to bow to you…"

"Shut up!" Laxus kicked him with an electrified foot, "Maybe when you've studied for hundreds of years, you'll be able to lecture me!"

Natsu was motionless for another couple moments, but then he got up, covered in blood and scars, his clothes ragged and his breathing slow.

"He's _still_ trying to get up…?" Freed asked.

At this point, Levy couldn't hold back any of her tears, "Natsu, stop, you'll die…" She whimpered.

"You little punk…" Laxus panted, "I'm gonna wipe you clean from this world! There won't be a single trace of you!" He cast a large spear of lightning by building up and charging all the lightning around his body, "Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!" He flew towards Natsu.

"Natsu, get out of the way!" Freed urged, "That attack will kill you in the state you are now!"

Natsu cursed under his breath, too weakened to even _move_ at this point. He was surely done for.

Until the lightning attack veered off, surprising everyone, even Laxus.

Gajeel was a far distance away, with an iron club out. He screamed in pain as the lightning was directed to him instead, taking the full brunt of the damage.

"Gajeel…?!" Levy's eyes were wide, as if the shock ate away at her tears and left her like a statue.

"He…he made himself a lightning rod…" Freed observed.

"Gajeel?" Even Natsu looked surprised.

"Go!" Gajeel urged, "Get him!"

Natsu smiled and nodded, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" He ran up and rammed a fist into Laxus's gut.

Laxus growled, "You little…"

"Fire Dragon's Talons!" He went low and swept Laxus using his flaming feet.

Laxus grunted, "Damned punk!"

Natsu backed away, speeding back forward, "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Laxus fell back, as Natsu made another trip around, "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Laxus coughed up blood, flying into the air. "Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!" He jumped up and hit Laxus even further up in the air. He landed and prepared another attack, fire all around his body.

Levy swallowed hard, completely entranced with the lethal beat-down Laxus was receiving, "That magic…dragon slaying…it's meant to break through a dragon's scales…break its bones…destroy its very soul…"

"And…if I'm not mistaken…he's about to use a dragon slayer's secret art…" Freed said.

"Flame Lotus…" Natsu took a deep breath, as a godly cylinder of flames was cast towards Laxus, "Exploding Flame Blade!" Laxus was burnt right through the eye of the cylinder. Every minor collision the flames made with Laxus's body caused miniature explosions which triggered even more fire to spill out into the air.

Laxus's body thudded to the ground, not moving. The battle was over.

* * *

The Miss Fairy Tail sign still hung over the guild, but visitors were gathered for a different reason. Erza stood on the stage, covered in bandages, overall looking extremely exhausted, "Due to Porlyusica's efforts, the Master has been saved. So…you may all relax now." She smiled.

"Of course he's fine. It'll take a lot more than that to take the old man down!" Gray smiled as everyone else cheered.

"I concur." The Emerald Knight said, "If I were in his position, I don't think I'd live from the shock…"

"But, I do ask that you all remember the Master is no young man any longer. If we keep piling on too many stressors, it could take another turn for the worse. Please keep this in mind." Erza said.

"So we're still going to go through with Fantasia even though we're all injured?" Elfman asked.

"It's what the Master wants." Mirajane shrugged with a smile, "I think he could really use the fun, too."

"I've always been hoping to see Fantasia." Juvia said, sitting at a bench, looking fully recovered.

"Seeing it?" Cana asked, "You mean being _in_ it?"

Juvia's eyes widened as she looked up at Cana, "But I've only been here for…days!"

"So what? You're still part of the guild. And you got knockers to die for. Gonna have to put those on display."

Juvia's cheeks lit up bright pink as she crossed her arms, "I do hope you're teasing…" She looked up for someone else's guidance, "The outfits aren't…that… _revealing_ , are they?"

"No, that's just Cana being silly." Mirajane giggled, "But she is right, to an extent. With all the injuries, anyone who can stand and walk is expected to be in the parade."

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, the mere _prospect_ of being in a parade seemed to have left him flustered, "Even me?"

"Of course." Happy said, munching on a fish, "You could have a little toy knight float." He said, adding with a dark smile, "You wouldn't have to do much acting for that…"

The Emerald Knight growled, reaching over to grab Happy, but he flew off, laughing as he flew near the ceiling, "I'll get you, you crazy cat!" He snapped as Mirajane laughed.

"I mean, we can be in the parade, but _they_ sure can't." Gray looked at Natsu and Gajeel, completely bandaged up from head to toe as they sat on a bench on the sidelines. The former had bandages over his mouth, even.

"I agree." The Emerald Knight said as he sat back next to Gray, "They would most likely cause more harm than good, in that state, at least…"

Natsu held a fist up, saying something, but no one could understand him at all.

"Idiot. It's impossible for us to take part, you might as well give it a rest." Gajeel said.

Natsu said something back, against, indecipherable.

" _That's_ got nothing to do with it."

Erza got off the stage and sat next to Juvia, looking seriously tired at this point, "I suppose it's safe to say that…even with the guild in tatters, we can manage to pull through and settle matters together again."

At least until Laxus walked in. Once he entered, the guildhall was dead silent. He looked around, as bandaged up as anyone else was, "Where's the old man?" He asked, taking advantage of the silence.

"You jerk! You think an attitude like that will fly with the Master?" Jet snapped.

"Damn right it won't!" Droy frowned.

"Silence." Erza stood up and slowly walked up to Laxus, holding the others back with an arm as she looked up at him through her eyelashes. "In the clinic, in the back." She said softer.

As Laxus began to quietly make his way to the back, Natsu ran into him and blocked him, screaming a ton of absurdities that no one could quite make out as he pointed at Laxus.

Luckily, Gajeel was there to translate.

"Two against one ain't a fair fight." Gajeel said, "Next time, I ain't losing. One day, we'll fight again." He said, "That's what he's saying."

"Just a minute." The Emerald Knight walked over to Gajeel as Laxus left, "I thought Natsu won? If he didn't, wouldn't we all be pummeled by Laxus right now?"

"Pfft, yeah, but we didn't win. Like, five different people had to fight him in a row just to make a difference." Gajeel said, "He's a complete monster. If he was there for Phantom, we would've been completely wiped out. No questions asked."

The Emerald Knight nodded. He had since heard that Laxus was actually a lightning dragon slayer. Basically it made it all the more fortunate that the Emerald Knight himself didn't fight Laxus, as he would be able to eat most of his attacks with relative ease.

Gajeel snickered, "Nice job on taking out one of the Thunder Legion, princess."

The Emerald Knight flickered him a glare, "Yes, it was rather enjoyable. With my armor. And my weapons. And the absence of electrical explosions causing deep, internal bleeding. Those were fun events."

"Pfft, like you could beat me _with_ your armor on!"

They butt heads, of course, given the Emerald Knight's helmet and Gajeel's iron exterior, this resulted in a clang, "Why don't we settle this right after the parade?" The former asked.

Natsu either wanted to fight Gajeel, the Emerald Knight, or both of them, because he was ranting and raving about something, although no one could understand him.

"Alright guys…break it up…" Gray said, "Let's just focus on the parade for now, okay?"

"Yeah, you guys are too injured." Happy said, "Don't hurt each other."

Gajeel and the Emerald Knight exchanged a particularly long glare, before crossing their arms and facing away from each other.

"Hey, guys…" Levy looked back and forth between them, "We're family, right? No need to…be so hostile…"

They brooded for a few more passing moments. Until the Emerald Knight let out a very, _very_ reluctant, "I suppose so…"

* * *

He could barely think straight as he entered the room where Makarov was recovering. He heard Gajeel arguing with someone, it must've been that new knight who he hardly exchanged two words with. "They're a noisy bunch…aren't they?" He smiled.

Makarov sat up in his bed, giving a stern, yet weary look at his grandson, "Do you have any idea what you did?" He asked. Laxus tried to play it cool, nonchalant. He looked away, the tension in the room about ready to reduce him to a puddle, "Look me in the eye!" Makarov snapped.

Makarov sighed, trying to calm himself down as he saw the fright in Laxus's eyes, "A guild is…a place for friends to gather, a place for work, for jobs. And it's a family for those who don't have any." He said, "It doesn't _belong_ to you." He added, "A guild is built on trust, and integrity, they work hand in hand. And more than anything, it's about the strong bonds we guild mates share with one another."

There was a pause. At least Laxus was now giving Makarov the eye contact he deserved.

"You broke that integrity by threatening the lives of your guild mates! That can't be overlooked."

"I know!" Laxus said feebly, "I just…" He clenched one of his hands into a fist, "Wanted to make a stronger guild…"

Makarov got off his bed, "It amazing how truly clumsy you are with people." He sighed, "Can't you lighten up…just a little?" He asked, "If you stopped trying to rush through everything. To break barriers and be the strongest and whatnot, you would begin to see things you didn't notice before, and hear what you were deaf to previously." He smiled, "Life is much more fun than how you're doing it. If one can't enjoy their path to being the pinnacle of strength, what's the point of being strong in the first place if there's nothing to cherish?"

He swallowed hard. He didn't have an answer to any of those questions. Like Makarov said, he was so busy trying to be the strongest, he never even _thought_ about those things.

"You know I…I enjoyed…watching you grow up…" He said, "I didn't care how strong you were. Or how smart you were. I didn't care about any of that. I just enjoyed having my grandson in the guild…" He smiled, "As long as you had energy, that's all I wanted."

He then held a hand out sideways, a frail, small, yet firm gesture, "Laxus, you are expelled from the guild!"

"Yeah…" Laxus's shoulders sank, he turned towards the door, "Thanks for putting up with me…gramps…" He smiled at the door, "You take care of yourself, okay?"

"Get out!" Makarov snapped, facing away. As Laxus left, the Master broke down into tears.

* * *

"Why are _you_ the only one expelled? What about us?" Evergreen motioned towards herself with a hand, "Are we too weak for that!?"

"We're guilty too, right?" Bickslow asked.

"That's his decision to make." Laxus gave a vague shrug.

Evergreen looked away, clearly disguised, "Then I'll have to quit too. What's the point?"

"Yeah, the guild's not gonna be the same without you!" Bickslow said.

Laxus overlooked the park of Magnolia ahead of him, with the angle of the sunlight, everything was dyed in a bright orange hue, "Jeez…you guys are being so ridiculous about this." He smiled, "Can't you just say 'bye' like normal people?"

"Why do you have to play the giant hero and take all the guilt yourself?" Evergreen put her hands on her hips, "We're a team, you know. We do things together. Don't pretend you could've done all that without us."

"It's not that." Laxus said, "You guys are still tethered to the guild. I'm not anymore. You guys are still connected to it. Don't waste your time trying to follow me."

Evergreen started getting antsy, as did Bickslow, "We'll talk to the Master." She said, "We can't let you just…leave!"

"Yeah, I bet Natsu and Gray can vouch for you! It might take them a while to get over the whole Battle of Fairy Tail thing…but…" Bickslow trailed off.

"Laxus…" Freed said quietly, "Please don't leave us…"

Laxus gave one final big wave, walking off, "Take care!"

"Laxus!" Evergreen screamed, balling her hands into fists.

"Don't give us that crap, what the hell is gonna happen to the Thunder Legion?" Bickslow asked, eventually growling, "Damn it!"

Freed closed his eyes and smiled, "I hope we meet again, Laxus."

He was reaching the outskirts of the park. The small amount of children with their parents who were still in the park were departing. Most of them ranting and raving about the Fantasia parade. He figured the sooner he would get out of the rest of the guild's sight, the better.

"Laxus…"

He didn't expect to hear her voice, maybe one of the Thunder Legion's, but not her. When he turned to look at her, she stood almost shamefully, her hands folded in front of her, her head down a bit. Her angelic white hair blew in the breeze a bit as the sun continued its decent, leaving pretty colors on her face.

"Mira?" He raised a brow, "What the hell are you doing out here?"

"Looking for you…" She said just as softly, still averting her gaze.

"Don't you need to be getting ready for the parade?" He asked, "Gramps must be going crazy there, without you to help him."

She closed her eyes and brushed some tears away, before she ran forward and hugged him, knocking him back a few steps as she squeezed her arms around him tightly, "I'm so sorry…" She whimpered.

His eyes widened, "Mira…what the hell?" He asked, "What are _you_ sorry for?" He said, "Unless I was snoozing through gramps's lecture, this is all my fault."

"I should have helped you when…when I knew you needed it…" She still couldn't meet his gaze, she couldn't even open her eyes. She kept her head up against his shoulder, facing the ground, "Instead I just…ignored you…" She sniffed, "I ignore everyone…" Her nails gripped into him a bit with anger, almost, "Because I just…start thinking of Lisanna…and it's like nobody else in the world matters to me…"

"I get it." He said, "I know how important she is to you, okay? It's not your job to look after everyone. I was just a big old moron, and now I have to deal with what gramps set out for me."

She finally looked up and met his gaze, her big sapphire eyes glistened with tears, "You're…never allowed back, are you?" Her voice faltered.

It was his turn to avert her gaze, he looked straight ahead, "I guess I never really belonged there anyway." He said, "Natsu was trying to tell me that I didn't know the first thing about the people in the guild, but I didn't listen…"

A firework popped in the sky and Mirajane flinched, sniffling. She gave him one last squeeze, "Just please…" She closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest again, "Remember that…blood is thicker than water…" She looked up at him again, trying her best to smile, "You…don't have to be part of the guild to visit, right…?"

"You know that would just piss people off."

"…not me…"

He finally smiled, "And that's one of the biggest mysterious of the day, isn't it?"

She looked back up at him and giggled, finally breaking the hug and wiping a few tears away, "I'll be waiting."

"Yeah…" He said, not really having the heart to explain to her that he'd probably never come back, before he started walking away, "Later Mira. Take care."

"You too…Laxus…" She called out, " _Please_ …" She whispered to herself, watching his coat blow in the wind as he walked off.

* * *

The only purpose the night sky served was a black canvas for the vibrant fireworks that shone through. The streets were lit up from streetlights, of course, but the floats that went by glowed and the fireworks in the sky lit up the way as well, of course.

Music filled the air, as did the smell of savory and sweet treats alike. Anyone walking by was dressed extravagantly, laughing or cheering for the floats that passed. It was as if the entire city of Magnolia was glowing.

The floats themselves were lined up for quite a while, but they weren't nearly as impressive as the amount of people who actually gathered on the side of the streets to watch. Even between the floats, there were exotic dancers, people playing their instruments, choreography groups, and of course, families with hands full of Fair Tail flags.

"There go the girls from the Miss Fairy Tail Pageant!" Onlookers whooped and cheered.

"God, look at them go! They're gorgeous!"

"Like fairies themselves!"

Cana stood front and center, brushing some of her brunette locks over her shoulder as she smiled at all the attention, "Remind me to do this every year."

Levy laughed as she waved a flag for everyone to see that bore the guild symbol on it, while Bisca twirled some of her hair, "Usually you're too drunk to stand at this point."

"Who said I wasn't drunk?" Cana asked, causing Bisca to roll her eyes as she laughed, "But…I gotta say…" She turned back out to the crowd, waved and laughed, "I don't think I need to be drunk at all to enjoy this next year!"

On another float, Elfman dominated the crowd with his power in his full-body-takeover. He gave a mighty roar as the fans cheered at him, swinging his powerful mitts in the air.

In the center of his float, a giant rose bloomed, until it opened and unveiled Mirajane. She gave a warm smile to the crowd, her gown itself was adorned with flowers. She gasped, then laughed as Elfman scooped her up in a big hand and held her up higher for everyone to see.

A rather grand float passed by that almost left people with chills. It was an elaborate castle, built entirely with ice, and in front of it, a gushing moat with beautiful water. And of course, standing there dressed like king and queen were Juvia and Gray.

Juvia turned to Gray, her face was glowing with joy, "Shall we?" She held her hands out.

"Let's do it." Gray held his hands out as well. When Juvia summoned a large wave of water, Gray froze it just in time, leaving a large glittery ice sculpture for all to see.

As the crowd gasped and cheered, Juvia's face was beaming with joy, "I suppose our next task is thinking of names for the heir to our throne."

"Uh…maybe…"

"Maybe?" Her eyes widened, then filled with hearts, "Maybe! He's _thinking_ about it!"

"Aw…damn it…" He wilted, all the while, it seemed that Lyon and his allies were watching from a distance.

Meanwhile, Erza occupied another float all to herself, perhaps to avoid cutting anyone's limbs off with her glorious sword techniques. With her Heaven's Wheel Armor, she summoned many swords and let them catch the light from the fireworks and other floats.

As the crowd cheered her on and urged for more, she requipped into a bikini-like outfit, with dazzling jewelry and two shining swords. Graceful silks flew through the air around her from the handles of the blades, and from the many bows her hair was tied up into. The audience roared with cheers, and like Gray, Erza's allies from the Tower of Heaven were screaming like crazy. Besides Elspeth, that is.

The Emerald Knight's float was simple in shape but it was a vast array of colors. The bright yellows and oranges of topaz and citrate gemstones were represented on the float, as well as the dark, deep purple of amethyst. Diamonds were all around it as well, while the central themes of the float by the Emerald Knight's feet were ruby, sapphire, and emerald.

The Emerald Knight crossed his arms and closed his eyes. As hastily made and for-show this float was, it almost felt like he was surrounded by _real_ gemstones. The seven vastly different colored gemstones made his float look like a rainbow. It in turn represented all of his six fellow knights who he left behind.

His eyes wandered to the purple part of his float before he raised his lance and blasted off some green fireworks, as more cheers sounded.

Natsu and Makarov's floats brought up the rear. The former was almost too bandaged to do anything, on his rickety dragon float.

"You ready?" Happy asked.

"You bet, buddy!" Natsu smiled, shooting fiery orange fireworks from his mouth.

Unbeknownst to all of them, Laxus was watching from afar, so he couldn't be seen. Of course, seeing his grandfather prance around in cheap kitten getup was _not_ what he had in mind today. Although, as silly as it was to watch, it unearthed memories inside.

* * *

" _Aren't you going to be in it, gramps?" The young Laxus asked._

" _What? Fantasia?" Makarov asked, "I'm going to watch it with you this year!"_

" _But how will I be able to see you?"_

 _He paused. Laxus brought up a good point, "Hmm…well…"_

" _I know!" Laxus beamed, "Right in the middle of the parade…" He held a hand up, positioning his thumb and finger like a backwards L, "I'll do this!"_

" _Huh?"_

" _It's a message!" His smile grew, "It'll mean that even if I can't see you!" He said, "That I'll always be looking for you!"_

 _He swallowed hard, doing a bad job of hiding how touched he truly was, "…Laxus…"_

" _So you better look carefully, gramps!"_

* * *

Laxus took a deep sigh. Some things never change, as he watched his grandfather prance around like a fool. He turned away, about to leave.

He stopped, feeling the pressure of being stared at to his very soul. He turned around, wondering what could cause him to have such a feeling. He saw Makarov, now looking as serious as ever, in the same pose that Laxus himself made up when he couldn't have been older than five.

He swallowed hard, feeling tears leak from his eyes. Surely Makarov couldn't actually _see_ him. Why would he do this? In case his grandson _might_ come? He probably just looked like a fool, well, a pose like that beat whatever the hell kind of dance Makarov was doing before, but it still looked weird, unless you were in on it. "Gramps…" Laxus sniffed.

His eyes grew wider as more hands raised in the air. People he knew fairly well, like Erza and Gray, people whose name he didn't even know. Even Natsu was doing it, and he was pretty sure that cast wasn't supposed to be positioned like that.

The Emerald Knight looked around, a bit confused at what everyone was doing. Nonetheless, since he was the one person who wasn't doing it, he put his lance away and held his gauntleted hand up, imitating the same symbol everyone else was.

Laxus tried to brush the tears away as the parade hit its apex, millions of fireworks going off at once as everyone remained exactly still, in their positions. "Thank you…thank you gramps…I…I won't forget any of you…"

* * *

It confused Gajeel to no end. This man was supposed to be Laxus's father, and Makarov's son, but he didn't look like _either_ of them. His skin was tan, and he was very tall and well-built. He had black hair as well as a rather regal looking beard. A black cloak went over his dark purple dress shirt, and he had a blue tie in a Windsor knot.

The man cackled to himself a bit, as the two of them were on the outskirts of the guildhall. The area around them was a dried out canyon, dead animal bodies lying all around. And Gajeel wasn't stupid enough to think that it was like this _before_ Ivan's guild came along. "It's awful symbolic, how the cookie crumbles in the end, isn't it, Gajeel?" He asked in his snide, businesslike voice.

Gajeel frowned. He hadn't even been there that _long_ and he was already annoyed. He could be in the parade like everyone else, but instead he was stuck here with this old hag. Well, not that he _wanted_ to go to the parade or anything. "You never told me Laxus was a dragon slayer."

Ivan laughed and laughed, "He's just a fake!" He laughed, "My little fake!"

"A fake?" Gajeel repeated.

"He was a weak little boy ever since he was little…" He held his arms out as he faced Gajeel, "So I took the wretch and put a lacrima crystal into his body. No son of mine is going to be a little weakling, that's for sure."

"What?" His eyes shrunk, "A lacrima with dragon slayer magic? That…that's a thing?"

He nodded, "Second generation dragon slayers, they call it…"

"That…that can't be possible. I've never heard of something like that…it sounds like only something a person richer than royalty could afford!"

He smirked, "Now that he's expelled from Fairy Tail, he'll most likely come right into my arms." He said, "I think it's time I make a return on that lacrima, don't you? Like you said, it's worth quite a bit of money…"

"W-What? You're just…going to _rip_ it out of him…" Gajeel swallowed hard, "Would…would that kill him?"

"I think I'll buy myself a couple new vaults first…or…maybe I should spend the money trying to get new soldiers to destroy Fairy Tail…" He mused, "Hmm, well, it's beside the point. If the little brat can't even withstand a battle for a day or two, then he doesn't deserve to be my son. I'll show him that I can build him up and tear him down just as easily…" He then whirled around to Gajeel, giving him no sense of personal space, "And _you_ are going to keep spying on Fairy Tail. Got it? Do _not_ let them know where your true loyalties lie!"

Gajeel laughed, "I've been doing this for a while! They'll never figure me out!"

* * *

"Gajeel!" Makarov gave Gajeel a wave as he entered the battered down guildhall, "Some of the after-party is still going on…did you want to go join the others?"

"Nah, it ain't my style." Gajeel said.

"Is that right?" He asked, shrugging and doing a little bit of tidying up, "Well, at least the parade is finally over…" He said, "And tomorrow I have to help with the town cleanup…never a dull moment…"

"Master…" Gajeel held a hand out as Makarov began to walk away.

"Hmm?" Makarov turned around.

"I found the location of Master Ivan." Gajeel smiled, "Your son."

He nodded solemnly, "Well done." He said, "I still feel as though it is reckless to give you such a dangerous job…"

Gajeel shrugged, "Nobody in the guild suspects that I'm a double agent…but you'd better watch out…Ivan's after Laxus's lacrima…"

Makarov looked ahead, "Now that I know where he is, I'll be one step ahead of him." He said, "I won't let him make a fool out of our guild!"

* * *

 **A/N:** FLUFF AWAITS! Jeez, feels like it's really been a while, but I'm looking forward to it. Let us know what you thought of the arc with a review! More and more divergences are a-comin'… :)

Also, a side note, why was Ivan getting the lacrima from Laxus never a plot point in the canon? It seems like a wasted opportunity, which I will most certainly not overlook. (Especially because I'd rather jump off a cliff then write the Daphne arc, so, it might leave some space for that). I think it's a cool idea, because Raven Tail just, kinda happens in the Grand Magic Games, and that's it. I might do more with them. So expect that in the future. Also expect about...3ish fluff chapters before I move on to the Oracion Seis Arc, which is another one of my favorite arcs.

Anywho, goodnight


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N:** Here's chapter forty-nine! Cue the Romance genre! Hope you like it! :)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

The weather was horrible outside. No one in their right mind would be outside. The rain was horrid, the clouds were black as night, and the lightning was bright and frightening.

Well, no one in their right mind aside from the Emerald Knight. All he had on over his shirt and pants was a single gauntlet, rather than all his armor. When a bolt of lightning fell down, he dove out and caught it. He grunted in pain as he tried to both catch and harness the lightning bolt, said bolt began to turn green in color the more he held onto it, until it exploded and the Emerald Knight tumbled back in the ground.

He heard a voice after his hearing came back, "Ant? Ant, what the fuck are you doing out here, the weather's just awful!" He heard familiar sandals before he felt someone scoop him up onto his feet, meeting his girlfriend's warm brown eyes as she gently held his shoulders, "Let's get inside, alright?" He nodded feverishly, pretty much following her into his house like a lost puppy at this point.

She closed the door with her hips before she guided him over to the couch and helped him sit down, holding his face with one hand and meeting his eye with a look of concern, "Are you alright? You could have died getting struck by lightning like that…"

"That's unlikely." The Emerald Knight said, gently pulling his gauntlet off, as expected, his arm looked pretty badly burnt, it was covered in smoke.

She grimaced, then looked back up at him, "Do you have any bandages or anything?"

He gave a small nod, getting up and walking off into another room. He came back after a few minutes with his arms all bandaged up, listlessly sitting on the couch. As if getting his arm nearly blown off was a perfectly normal occurrence.

"I could have helped you with that, you know." She smirked and sat back next to him, kicking her feet up on the table as she reached in her back pocket and pulled out a flask.

"I didn't want to burden you any more than I already have."

"Burden me…" She took a sip, "When have you ever burdened me?"

"I don't know…" He sighed, "I just…have a lot of work to do…that's all…"

"Don't we all? You just gotta make sure to take a break now and again." She playfully elbowed him and handed him the flask, "Booze can help with that a lot."

He closed his eyes, "So can tea."

"Pfft." She snickered and took another sip, "Tea doesn't take pain away, sweetheart. That's the glory of alcohol."

He stood up, "I think I'll go make myself some now. Did you want anything?"

"Attention?" She smiled and stretched her arms and legs out like a cat, "I'm teasing. I'll be fine."

After a few minutes, he came back with a cup of tea for himself, sitting next to Cana again. He took a small sip of his tea, all the while, his eyes were on the storm outside, following each and every lightning strike.

"I wonder if that's Laxus." She muttered, "He's probably still pissed, huh?"

"I'm glad that fool's gone." He said, "Now all we need is for Gajeel to be banished, and then the guild would be perfect again…"

"We only have room for one dragon slayer in our guild." She crossed her arms.

His shoulders shuddered a little bit, even the hand holding his teacup was shaking, "No one told me that Mirajane could do that…" He said quietly.

"The She-Devil thing? Pretty sure I told you about that." She muttered, "I mean, I'm sure she'd tell you the reason, but I have no clue why she always pretended she couldn't fight. Like, she got S-Class when she was what, sixteen? I don't even remember." Something about her tone sounded slightly bitter, "She can take down entire towns. All the Strauss's have powerful take-overs. I remember Lisanna could turn into animals."

"But…but she was so…" He was at a loss, "Just…kind…and innocent…and sweet…" He took an annoyed sigh, "Everyone in this guild keeps secrets from me." He looked at Cana, "Are you a werewolf or something? You should tell me now, I won't want to figure it out later…"

She smirked and took another sip from her flask, "No, but apparently I'm a beast in bed."

There was a knock on the door. Something timid and refined, nothing like Natsu or Happy would pull, not even Gray or Erza.

"Yes, come in." The Emerald Knight said, trying to hide the pink blush on his face.

Juvia stepped in, her eyes wide as she looked around, "Mister Emerald Knight…you have such a lovely home…"

Cana almost seemed irritated with her arrival, "Hey Juv."

And Juvia seemed irritated with the nickname, "Um…just Juvia…is okay…"

The Emerald Knight blinked, "How the devil do _you_ know where I live?"

"Um…well, I—"

"Juvia's a stalker." Cana said.

"I am not!"

"Yeah, she is." Cana took another sip from her flask, then her hardened gaze melted a bit, "I still remember what you did for me at the Battle of Fairy Tail…"

Juvia seemed confused with the sudden change in topic, "I would have done the same for any member of the guild."

"But…you did it for me." She threw a hand in the air, "And I'm scum."

"You are not." She looked away, "I am. I'm…the Phantom Lord girl…I know it…"

"You are not." Cana said, "Come sit with us."

She timidly stepped forward and sat next to Cana, "I…I feel like a third wheel…" She said softly.

"Juvia, listen." Cana leaned in, "You're one of us now. Alright? That shouldn't even be a question in your head. Anyone who doesn't think you are isn't a member of Fairy Tail. And anyone who's not a member can go eat shit, they don't matter. Alright?" She gave a little smile.

"I feel as though the lesson you're trying to convey is very deep and meaningful, but your style of conveying it…could use improvement."

Cana rolled her eyes, "You're a bit of a prude, honey." She snickered, "So how's Gray?"

"Gray? Why are you asking about Gray?" Her posture skyrocketed as she sat up and scooted to the edge of the couch, a hint of aggression on her face, "You're not…competing for him, are you?"

"No, I'm with Ant. For like, the sixth time. I'm just asking if you two are together yet."

Juvia looked down at the table, her anger gone and replaced with a forlorn look, "Gray does not like me the way I like him."

"I mean…he didn't say that, right?"

"…not to my face…"

"Then you don't know if it's not true." She shrugged, "Lemme tell you something." She scooted in, "Guys can be pretty dense. Sometimes you try and let them in on something, and they don't get it." Juvia gave a little nod, "So what you gotta do sometimes, is give 'em a little push. But it can take a while."

"What…like…like a love potion?"

"Well…that might be a little dangerous…"

"Dangerous?"

"A lot of old hags make 'love potions' for desperate little girls like you. Then they drink it and turn into some sort of hell-beast and the old hag gets her one-thousand jewel."

"That's terrible…"

"Uh huh." She snickered, "I just think you should give Gray some time."

"Some time." She repeated to herself. "Okay." She folded her hands in her lap and stared forward for a moment, then faced Cana again, "It's been some time, yes?"

"Oh, brother…" She sat back and looked over at Ant, "Honestly, she'll be lucky if Gray doesn't kill her in the next year…" She muttered under her breath.

"Well, they weren't really communicating much during the Tower of Heaven…she was with me." The Emerald Knight said, "And then, once we got home, Laxus had his little tantrum…so…honestly…" He took a deep sigh, "I'm just so happy that I'm finally able to relax now…"

"And you know, ignite your hand with lightning." Cana threw a hand in the air.

Juvia leaned in a bit, "Are you alright, Mister Ant? Do you need me to look at it?"

"I thought it was Mister Emerald Knight…?"

Juvia scooted forward and leaned in to look at the bandaged hand, "I might be able to use some water to clean the injury a little bit…but I'm no real medic…"

Cana shamelessly eyed Juvia's chest, "Jeez, what cup size _are_ you?"

Juvia gently took the bandages off, despite his mild protest, before she very gently cleaned the charred skin away from his hand, meeting his eye, "Is this alright?"

He gave a slow nod, looking towards the window again as he was being healed, "Miranda always told me that each particular gemstone had an element it connected to, that it resonated with. Mine was always believed to be lightning." He said, "I take resisted damage from lightning based attacks."

"I guess that makes sense." Cana said, "But why were you out there playing with it?"

Juvia gently bandaged his hand back up, "To get stronger?" She guessed.

The Emerald Knight's eyes flickered to Cana, "I couldn't protect you." He said quietly, "Or avenge you."

"From Freed?" She asked, then she squeezed him, "Don't worry about that, sweetheart." She kissed his cheek, "I'm not upset or anything."

Juvia twiddled her thumbs as she sat back, "I wish I was able to do more too…"

"At the train station, I took out hundreds of Erigor's lackeys, but that only because Erza was at my side. In Galuna, I defeated Sherry, but I only got lucky with Lance Fader, without it, I would have been defeated. In the Phantom Mecha, I didn't have my armor and Gajeel nearly gave me a grizzly, bloody demise. In the Tower of Heaven, I only won with Juvia's assistance, and in the Battle of Fairy Tail, I only won with Happy's assistance…" He paused to take a breath, "I'm a knight. When the person we love is hurt, we need to strike back, tenfold. If I can't do that, then…then what's the point of me?"

Juvia seemed beyond inspired, but Cana shrugged, "Don't knights work in teams? What's a good knight by himself? Without his squire and horse and army to back him up?"

"We didn't have those things." He said, then he sighed again, "Forget it…I'm just going to keep getting stronger, and in order to do that, I need to be one with the lightning." He said, "I need to learn its behavior, its functions, its movements. Everything."

"If only Laxus were around. And like, you know, helpful." Cana said, "He's only helpful if you're drunk out of your mind…" She grumbled, crossing her arms.

"I would help you, but I'm not sure how much help I would be." Juvia said, "I think I would just…get in the way…"

"Well, I think it would be a better avenue than this." He said, holding his uninjured hand out. It glowed a reddish yellow, like how Erza would always glow when she requipped, but then the substance popped away, like a bubble.

"You're trying to learn how to requip?" Juvia asked, "Very impressive…I can imagine it's much harder while trying to learn…other forms of magic."

"It is." He said, "That's why for now I'll ignore it. I'll practice what I've got for now, it can wait." He said. It was true. He entered the guild with perhaps three or four spells, and now he was on his way to learning a sixth attack.

She smiled and gave an encouraging nod, before she looked at Cana, "What was your magic again?"

"Card magic." Cana said, looking at her nails.

"Card magic, that's right…" She nodded, "Is it…powerful?"

Cana looked quite irritated with that question, "Is water magic powerful?"

Juvia seemed a little surprised, "Oh…um…yes, I th-think so…"

Cana snorted, "Uh huh." She stood up and stretched, "So uh…Ant and I kinda had plans…"

"Oh, am I interrupting something?" Juvia stood up, "Please, forgive me. I had no clue. I wish you both a pleasant afternoon." She gave a little smile before she left.

Cana sat back down and cuddled up next to the Emerald Knight. "Better." She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Something compelling tells me that you two _still_ don't get along…"

"She's…she's great. You know, she's got a good heart…but…I want to spend some time with my Ant…" She grabbed his arm and squeezed it, "Huh. That…came out funny."

He snickered, "It sounds like you have an insect farm…"

"Sounds like I'm really close to my Aunt or something…"

His smile remained, which was a change of pace considering how gloomy he had been all day. Until it faded, "Hmm…maybe I should focus on requip…if I could requip during the Phantom battle, I would have defeated Gajeel by myself…"

"Shh…" She sat up a bit and left a gentle kiss on his cheek, "Think about fighting later. When you're out there fighting, you'll wish you were in here with me."

"Hmm, perhaps." He wrapped his weary arms around her. She closed her eyes and sighed blissfully as he held her, then sat up a bit to kiss his lips. One of his hands was on her back and his injured hand ran through her hair, "I was thinking about you since I was at the Tower of Heaven…"

"Oh yeah?" She smiled, "What about me?"

His cheeks turned very red, "That…that I missed…holding you…"

"Just holding me, huh?" She giggled, pinching his cheeks, "You're blushing…"

"I'm aware of that."

She giggled, "I wanna hear all about it…"

"Hear what?"

"Your little fantasy featuring yours truly."

This didn't help the color of his face, "It wasn't a fantasy…I…I just missed you…"

"Uh huh." She snickered and kissed his lips again, "Are we ever gonna fool around?" She giggled playfully.

"Fool…around…?"

She snickered, "You're so innocent…" She pinched his cheek.

"Yes, pardon me for being part of a knight's training program all my life." He said, "My grasp on colloquial language isn't exactly up to snuff…"

She giggled and leaned up into her ear, "Sex."

He swallowed hard, feeling a chill, "Are you certain you didn't want a cup of tea?"

"Uh huh." She smirked.

"Yes, well, I…I suppose that…I should…head to bed…to sleep off this injury…as well as the others I've accumulated from…the Battle of Fairy Tail…"

She gently let him go, "You take care then, sweetheart." She kissed his cheek and stood up, "Night."

* * *

"You must be exhausted."

Erza looked up at the white-haired barmaid, "Exhausted doesn't begin to describe it…"

"It's a miracle you survived all those lacrima." Mirajane said, cleaning the counter off, then she smiled, "But I suppose you do make a habit out of surviving such things."

Erza smiled back, "I suppose I have the guild to thank for that. For supporting me."

There was a comfortable silence, before Mirajane handed her a slice of strawberry cake and hummed, "At this rate, you'll die at age fifty."

A bead of sweat rolled down Erza's forehead, "I…try not to think about it like that…"

Mirajane giggled as she leaned over the counter, the guild was fairly calm after the Fantasia Parade. "I don't know how you do it, Erza. After fighting in a single battle, I just felt so guilty…"

"Guilty?" Erza asked as she bit into her cake, "What made you feel guilty?"

"I was fighting Freed…" She said, "A friend. Who did you fight?"

"Primarily Laxus." She said, "So of course, I didn't feel guilty. I suppose if I was fighting a real guild member, I would feel a little faint-hearted."

Mirajane's hand froze as she kept wiping the counters. Was this really what everyone thought about Laxus? If the Great Titania, welcomer of all friends and family, felt as though he didn't deserve to be in the guild, did he belong at all? Erza continued and jolted her out of her thoughts, "But even then. It's for the good of the guild." Erza said, "Fighting each other. It had to be done so we could get to Freed and stop them before Thunder Palace killed all of Magnolia. I think it brought us together, too. As strange as it sounds."

Mirajane's gaze averted to the countertop again, "Do you ever think about…" She caught her breath and shook her head, "Never mind."

Erza took another bite of her cake, looking up at the strange expression on her friend's face, "He was expelled, right?"

Her pale blue eyes gazed across the crowd to make sure no one else was around, "Yes."

Erza took another bite of her cake, "But he's alive."

Mirajane's head cocked to the side a bit, "Yes…he is…"

She chuckled a bit, "You make things so challenging for yourself."

Mirajane's brow fell in a rather adorable display of frustration, "What do you mean?"

"I'm sure there's a certain knight who would have loved to take your hand and take care of you, but you find yourself drawn to the expelled and slightly psychotic dragon slayer."

Mirajane's cheeks lit up, before she bitterly muttered, "He is not psychotic."

"Mmm, I'm sure anyone who wants to murder an entire town of innocent people is doing just fine."

Mirajane crossed her arms, "If I'm not mistaken, you nearly tore Natsu, Ant's and Gray's heads off at Galuna."

"…the circumstances were different."

"They were your friends."

Erza crossed her legs, "I was in a bad mood."

"And so was he."

"Very well…" Erza snickered.

Mirajane grabbed her rag and started frustratingly wiping the counters, "Besides, he's with Cana."

"Hmm? Ant?" Erza asked, "I'm sure it won't last long." She said lowly.

Mirajane's jaw dropped, "Erza!"

"Well, let's be a tad realistic." Erza pushed her empty plate aside, "Cana has never settled down with someone for more than a handful of months. And with a man as chivalrous as Ant…I'm sure it won't be long…"

"Can't you have any faith in restoration?" Mirajane asked, "He could be making her better."

"I find that highly unlikely." Erza muttered.

Mirajane leaned in, "There must be something on your mind. You don't usually act this grumpy."

Erza's cheeks flamed up a bit, "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Who is it?"

"Nobody."

"Erza."

"Mira."

The couple glared at each other demonically for a handful of seconds before Erza cracked and looked down at the counter, "He's dead."

Mirajane instantly felt guilty for even pushing it, before Erza said, "And it was me and Natsu who killed him."

The only sounds that filled the air was the warm yet muffled sound of their guild mates quietly chattering and blissfully continuing their lives in the guild hall. Erza leaned over the counter, "Instead of helping him, we killed him. I suppose we didn't have a choice." She closed her eyes, "But I know there isn't anyone else. Anyone else I can care about as much as I cared about him." She sat up, "And he happens to look exactly like Mystogan."

Mirajane's mind was scattered, "Hmm…?"

"When I was fighting Laxus with Natsu, Mystogan appeared…and Laxus knocked his hood off. He looked exactly like Jellal…and yet, claimed he wasn't…"

The barmaid leaned in, "Have you spoken to the Master about it?"

"Of course not." Erza scoffed, "For what reason should I burden him? My petty emotions? It's nothing."

"Emotions are nothing to ignore…" Mirajane said firmly, "That's what got us in the Battle of Fairy Tail."

She shook her head, "Mira, it's fine. I just…" She looked up at Mirajane with a determined look on her face, "I don't want to see any of my friends suffer the same plight. So I'll help you, if I can. By first reminding you that…he's still alive."

Mirajane looked out at the guild, she couldn't quite think of anything to say. Her friend had entirely given up on love, because one person she liked had died. If Laxus died, would she give up? Was it terrible if she didn't really think she would?

"And…" Erza added, "Trying as hard as I can to help you find someone better for you." She smirked.

"That's not for you to decide…" Mirajane grumbled.

Erza chuckled, "Very well." She stood up, "I should really get back to a job, but…thank you." She looked up at Mirajane, "Your secret is safe with me, so long as the same is said for you."

"Of course."

"Take care, Mira." Erza waved as she walked off.

A light sigh escaped her lips as she watched the redhead walk off. If anything, the conversation had depressed her even _more_. Sure, Laxus wasn't dead, but he wasn't coming back to the guild. He simply wasn't allowed, and even if he was, he was right. Nobody would want to see him there. If she was seen with him, everyone would disgrace both of them, and she had the chance to risk being expelled too. Her eyes watered a bit as she thought about what would happen if she was expelled. What Elfman would think. It'd really be the same amount of pain Laxus felt when his father was kicked out.

Maybe Erza was right. Maybe she needed to find someone else.

* * *

A massive air ship plowed its way through the clouds, inside lied two figures. "The Oración Seis?" Ultear's steps were slow and loud as she strutted over towards the window.

She was in a flowy striped dress with a halter top and slit up the left leg, a light sash around her waist that draped behind her. Her hair was tied up into two loose pony-tails, and her lips were painted dark, as always. "They're on the move, hmm?" She turned around, her high heeled boots clicking after her, "What will you do, Master Hades?"

"Leave them be, for now." An old wise voice said from a large throne under the shadows, "They no doubt attract the official guilds with their actions. We'll use their little war as a diversion to hunt out the key to remove the seal on Zeref." He said, chuckling eventually, "Perhaps if we're fortunate enough, they'll get rid of some of the more troublesome guilds…"

Her smirk was sinful, "Fairy Tail, for instance…?"

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm not a huuuge fan of Ultear, but that line is pretty cool…heh, heh. Well, what'd you think? Let me know with a review, and thank you to all of those who have recently reviewed! Thank for reading!


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N:** Here's chapter fifty! (balloons, streamers, firecrackers) If this were one of my Bloodlines fics, we'd be at the halfway point, but…heh, heh, this is gonna be a bit more than a-hundred chapters…Well, enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

It was almost sad, but Macao had somehow picked up the skill of detecting Cana's mood by how she drank, or what she drank. And, who she drank with. The combination of her being alone, the label scrubbed off of the bottle she was drinking from, and two other empty bottles on the table summed up her mood pretty easily. To him at least.

She was angry. Very angry, it seemed, considering how hard she slammed the bottle back on the table.

"Alright, Cana, I'll bite. What's the deal?" Macao asked, putting his own mug of beer down.

She looked over at him, her cheeks already pink. "…fuck…" She grumbled, "It's nothing…"

"Alright, if you say so." He said, taking a swig of his drink, occasionally looking around for Wakaba.

She took another sip of her drink, "Have…have I like…gone down in value?"

"Depends on what you mean…"

She was too drunk to be offended, "Well…you're a hot-blooded man…On a scale of one to ten, where would you peg me?" She sat back, a serious look on her face.

"What? I…I don't know. Why does it matter so much?"

"That's not an answer!" She spat out, slamming the glass bottle on the table, "Ya got ten seconds!"

"You're drunk, Cana. I'm not answering that."

She rested her forearms on the table, "C'mon…Macao, please…"

"You're not usually one to be so self-conscious about yourself."

She crossed her arms and sat back, looking like she'd cry, "He won't fuck me…"

"Who won't?" He asked. On its own, Macao's question could've actually sounded really _stupid_. But it was Cana they were talking about. It isn't exactly foreign for her to do all sorts of strange sexual favors and acts with as many people as possible.

"Ant." She huffed, "Am I gross or something?" She took another long drink.

"Ant?" He raised a brow, "You realize he's a knight, right?"

"Yeah…" She snorted, "That's what everyone says. Am I not hot enough for a knight to screw?" She bashed her bottle on the table, "I just can't handle these…" She balled her hands up into fists, "Fucking dry spells! This is why I don't do boyfriends. Because they string me up and hang me out to dry." She seethed, before drinking half of what was left in the bottle she was tending, "No wonder you cheated on Enno…monogamy fucking sucks ass…"

"It's not your looks that are the question, it's who he is." Macao said, "Don't you know that knights practically _invented_ the word 'chivalry'? He's not going to do anything to you this early in the relationship. Hell, a lot of normal people wouldn't. But with him, it's going to probably be extra long."

"Pfft…I….I can't do that…" She threw a hand in the air, "I thought I could crack him, you know? Thought I could…break him in, but I guess I'm not good enough for that…"

"You can't just…change a person's fundamental nature." He said as he took a sip of his beer, "It's not really possible."

She grumbled something inaudible, "When did Enno figure out?" She looked over at him, "What made her catch you?" She leaned in.

He sighed and gave a small shrug, "I don't know…things just…started adding up…for her. I think it was just all the little lies…adding up." He downed most of his drink, "I mean, what the hell are you gonna do? I screwed up, big time. You take away one thing from this, it's that you shouldn't take for granted someone who loves you very much. It might render you incapacitated, or, in my case, a single father."

She stared at the table and spat out another curse, finishing her drink, "Macao…" She said softly, before she looked up at him with huge, sorrowful eyes. It wasn't the saddest he'd ever seen her, but it was certainly up there, "Come home with me tonight…?"

His eyes widened, "What the hell, Cana? Did you even hear a single word that I said?"

She shook her head, "I can't do serious relationships like this. It's over. I'll hold it up for him until he gets bored, there's no point in wasting our time."

"In that case, you should probably just break things off with him." He said, "It'd be bad to do something behind his back, you'll get in a lot of trouble that way."

"Not if I'm careful." She gave a bitter smirk, "Unlike someone."

"Cana." He said sternly, "Don't do this. It's stupid, even for you. If I was in your spot…" He paused, looking a bit downcast, "If I still had Enno…I would be straightforward with her…so straightforward…so honest…I wouldn't make the same mistakes twice…"

"Yeah, well, you loved her. Enough to…to make a damn rug-rat with her. I'd never do that." She cackled, "Jeez, kids are a never. There are different types of people, alright? I'm just one of the types that doesn't do serious." She decided, "And that starts tonight. No more empty bed." She glared at him, "I'm doing it for myself. For my _health_." She emphasized. "He'll be fine. He won't give a damn. He'll break up with me and go shackle up with some…blushing virgin he deserves."

He looked more and more confused with each word she said, definitely an annoyed confusion, "Then why the hell did you go after him in the first place?"

"Because I thought I could break him!" She pounded a fist on the table, "What's so confusing about this? Of course I'm gonna find the first ripped guy I meet and try to get into his pants, this is old news." She crossed her arms, "I just had no clue he'd be such a goddamn prig about it. It hurts." She spat out, "My charm or wiles or whatever the fuck you want to call it; it's all I got. That's who I am. I'm not _strong_ , I'm not _powerful_ , I don't have nice hair or taste in style, I can't do shit, but at least I can find someone to spend the night with. I'm not saddled up with him to stare at his little chastity belt and hold his hand for long walks on the beach!"

"I just think you should talk to him about how you're feeling."

"Pfft. Of course not. The only people on this planet who get me are you and my mom. That's it." She said defiantly, "Ant doesn't get me at all. I mention any of this crap and he'll lose his shit."

"You don't want to do this, Cana. I'm warning you, it's a bad idea."

"And I'm telling you, I'll make it work. I'm gonna go find someone to bring home, since you're too damn stubborn to come with me." She stood up.

Macao rolled his eyes and asked the barmaid for another drink as Cana sauntered off. Her gaze could easily be described as predatory as she scanned the crowds of people, but she was determined not to get caught. It was almost thrilling, a challenge, in her eyes. She could easily get away with taking a girl home, if she wanted to play it easy. Nobody would suspect a thing. But if she wanted to go all the way and shoot for a guy, she was going to have to be very sly about it.

But one thing remained true. No matter what, she couldn't break up with Ant. Not yet. She would keep him on the backburner, because she had a feeling that a night with him would be something she wouldn't be able to forget.

* * *

The more intricate parts of the guild could best be described as a maze. At least that's what the Emerald Knight thought as he kept repeatedly travelling through the same sections over and over again. A larger and more decorated guild was nice, but, it made it harder for the Emerald Knight to find what he was looking for.

After a quarter of an hour of pointless searching, he eventually went into the library, not exactly wanting to be spotted by anyone else. And he knew that Mirajane could be spotted within the confines of the library a lot most of the time, and Mirajane was the absolute _last_ person he wanted to talk to right now.

He smiled when he finally found his target, of course, it was in the most refined corner of the library, where only the bravest and most knowledgeable souls would dare enter, "You're a hard man to find, Mister Justine."

Freed but his book down in surprise, leaning against the wall, "The Emerald Knight? You've been trying to find me?"

"That's correct." He nodded, "Your magic was able to shape the entire battle before it even began, it was devastating on the battlefield—"

"Oh, yes, right. You want an apology." Freed said, giving a slight bow, as he most likely has done for dozens of other wizards through the last few days, and probably for the next few weeks, "Please, forgive my prior foolishness. It was wrong of me to turn my back on the guild in the way that I did."

"I don't seek your apology." The Emerald Knight said, "I seek your tutelage."

"…tutelage…?" Freed rose back up from his bow, looking hopelessly confused at this point.

"Surely, having magic that enables you to write the rules to a battle are valuable to have, no?" The Emerald Knight sat at a nearby table.

Freed sat across from him, "Yes, but…it would really depend on your affinity for the written language…and…well…" He looked him up and down.

"Don't let my barbaric appearance fool you." The Emerald Knight said, "I am an avid reader. You won't have to worry about that." He said, or, at least he was more of an avid reader than anyone in his immediate team. Solving that Daybreak novel at Duke Everlue's mansion had to prove something.

"Yes, I suppose we'll see about that…" Freed said, rising from the table to search the nearby bookshelves for some texts on the matter, "It's just that…I've heard rumors that you were trying to learn how to requip, like Erza."

"Yes, although it has taking a bit of spot on the backburner, it is an eventual goal of mine."

"You want to learn how to make Enchantments _and_ how to Requip?"

"Ideally."

He turned around and faced him, "It would probably take you years just to master _one_. Both types of magic are tremendously complicated."

"Very well, then. I will be patient."

He looked even more surprised at his determination, "Yes, I see." He said, once he found a few textbooks, he placed them right in front of the Emerald Knight.

He blinked, skimming through some of them, "I…I can't understand any of these…"

"Exactly, before you can even learn the _practical_ applications of Enchantments, you must learn every accessible language out there. Even the dead ones are not off-limits. For the more well-versed you are, the harder your Enchantments will be to crack."

He looked up at Freed, "So you're saying that I'll need to learn dozens of languages just to have a _basic_ knowledge on this?"

He nodded, "Just look at Levy. She probably knows ten times more than you do about all the other types of written and spoken words in this world, and yet she isn't at the level to make Enchantments."

"I see…" The Emerald Knight said, "I suppose I'll start reading then." He pulled one of the books open, "And I will enjoy future lessons from you, Mister Justine."

Freed gave a small smile. He certainly didn't think he was going to be making any new acquaintance's with anyone anytime soon.

* * *

"So…" Levy peeked up from the pages of her book again, towards a pillar with a familiar blue-haired water-mage hiding behind it. She was sitting across from Gray, the two of them sharing lunch together. He was thinking about jobs, and she was doing some research for a job of her own. Gajeel was sitting at the same table as they were, but all the way at the end, doing a pretty good job of pretending he wasn't listening, "Don't look now, but Juvia's been staring at you for…probably half an hour…"

"I know."

"…isn't it a little worrisome…? Or annoying?"

"Eh." He shrugged.

She leaned in a bit, "Are you two secretly together or something?"

"W-What?" He scooted back in his chair in shock, "No! Of course not! She's just…been acting weird…ever since the Phantom battle…"

She giggled, "Acting weird, huh? Okay." She sat back and giggled to herself even more, "Sounds like you should take her to a therapist. Together."

"Pfft, knowing my luck, the therapist would take _her_ side."

She laughed even more, "Well, what do you think of her?" She asked quietly, "I haven't spoken to her much, is she nice?"

"Uh…I guess…"

She raised a brow, then giggled again, reaching forward and taking a french-fry, "Well, how's your group doing, then?"

"We're fine." He shrugged with a smile, "Yeah, I guess the last time all of us hung out was with that whole lunch and fortune teller deal." He said, "Well…you were with the whole team except Erza…but, Erza doesn't really hang out much…"

"She doesn't seem like the type for that, huh?" She gave a little smile, "We should trick her one of these days." She gave a mischievous smile, "Maybe go out and watch a movie or something. I feel like she's setting herself up for a heart attack, especially if she keeps working herself so hard."

"Nearly blowing herself up by attacking two-hundred organically linked lacrima isn't helping her case…"

"I wish I could be as strong as she is…"

"That's the beauty of S-Class, isn't it?" He smiled, "That's where everyone wants to be." He said, "Of course, the trials won't be for a while now."

She put her fingers over her temples, "Oh, I don't even want to think about that yet…I'll never get selected, I'm too…" She sighed, "Too wimpy."

"Oh, come on, you gotta have more faith in yourself than that."

"I can hardly do anything…I can't fight with you guys…I can't help you guys with anything…" She shook her head, "I'll just stick to my books. I guess it's where I belong."

"I mean, you're pretty good at Solid Script."

Her cheeks turned a little pink, "Thanks. Really, it's all I have. I guess I'll just keep…keep making it better."

"Yeah, and maybe we'll have to compete together in the test. That'd be great. I can't wait to be S-Class!"

"S-Class, huh?" Gajeel asked, getting up and repositioning himself so he was sitting next to Levy.

"You heard all of that?"

"What?" He asked, "No, well, yeah, a little bit…you talk too loud, Fullbuster, that's all…"

Levy scooted over a tad to give Gajeel enough room, subconsciously nudging the fries over towards him if he wanted any, "Well…maybe it's not so much that I doubt myself. But I know for sure if I had to fight you or Natsu or…" She looked up at Gajeel with frightened eyes, "I think I would get _killed_ …"

"Pfft, don't be like that, you're fine." Gajeel said, "You're better than that knight princess."

"Look, I didn't want to say anything earlier, but I think you should try to get along with Ant, alright?" Gray asked, "Something's gonna happen one day, and one of you is gonna end up dead or something."

He crossed his arms, "Alright, then you and Salamander have to get along and be best buddies from now on. Fair?"

He frowned, "That…that is completely different…"

"Uh-huh."

"I think both of you have a point." Levy said, "But you also both hold grudges."

"Tch, I just don't like him, that's all." Gajeel looked away.

"And I don't like Natsu." Gray crossed his arms.

"Then why the hell are you on the same team?!"

"…well, I don't know…cause…"

It wasn't long before Juvia walked over and sat next to Gray, "Gajeel, I wish you wouldn't upset Gray so much."

"Oh come on, I'm not upsetting anyone." Gajeel said, then his eyes shrunk, "Wait, where the hell did _you_ come from?!"

"…the guild…?"

"She was stalking Gray." Levy muttered quietly, using her book to cover her mouth.

A pause went by, before Gajeel gave an annoyed sigh, "I'm bored…I need to look for more work soon…not even for the jewel, just so I don't fall asleep…"

"…do you want to go out on a job with me?" Juvia asked, "I wouldn't mind. I have quite some down time."

"Down time…?" Levy asked, "Why does it seem like…you're waiting for something?"

Juvia looked over at Gray for a fleeting second, then back at Levy, "Hmm?"

"I should have known." Levy muttered, continuing to flip through pages.

"Hmm, maybe, a good old, Phantom reunion partnership…why the hell not?" Gajeel wondered.

Juvia giggled a bit, "We could…rust away the opponents with our powers!"

"Eh, something like that, why not?"

Levy sighed, "You're lucky. I've been working on this job for weeks…"

"Is it anything we could help you with?" Juvia asked.

"Unless you're any good at translating dead languages?"

"…I'm afraid I'm quite rusty…"

She giggled a bit, "Yeah, it's alright. I am too, to be honest…"

"Why don't you just ask—" Gray asked, then he stopped, not sure what exactly stopped him from finishing the sentence.

"What? What was he gonna say?" Gajeel asked.

"I would have." Levy said, "But I haven't seen him in ages…" She sat back and set a bookmark between the pages, "He must be upset about Laxus's exile."

"I don't think _anyone's_ seen him since the battle ended." Gray said.

"Who is this?" Juvia asked.

"Freed." Levy answered, "He's…kind of gone missing. I've seen Bickslow mulling about, and Evergreen too."

"Oh yeah, he came in at the end of our fight with Laxus." Gajeel said, "Jeez…I hope _he_ doesn't start a ruckus too now…"

"It's kinda freaky that he caused Mira to spiral out of control like that." Gray said, "I can't remember the last time she used her powers."

"Neither can I." Levy said, "And we've both known her for ages."

"It was frightening…" Juvia said, "Not Mirajane…but Freed's enchantment. The lacrima hurt too…"

"Yeah, I hated being stuck behind that stupid wall." Gajeel said, "I'm not even over eighty…"

"I have to say, I still don't get why that stopped both of you…" Levy pondered, quizzically looking over Gajeel, "I wonder if it has something to do with the dragon slaying magic?"

"Pfft…whatever…I'm just glad you let us out…it was boring in there…"

She gave a little smile, "Well, if I didn't let you out, I think we'd all be toast…"

"Yeah…Salamander is pretty good, sometimes."

Mirajane approached the table, a pretty smile as always, "Would anyone like a drink? Something else to eat?"

"No thanks." Levy said, as Juvia shook her head.

"Nah, we're good here, Mira." Gray said, then after a moment, he added, "Come to think of it, I haven't really seen Ant all day either. I wonder where he could be."

"Probably doing bowing exercises or some crap like that." Gajeel said.

He rolled his eyes, "I'm just wondering when Natsu and the others are gonna get their crap together so we can go on a job."

"I can go on a job with you, Gray darling." Juvia said.

"Uh…" Gray turned pink, "Yeah…I guess you could…" He said, "I mean, you were a nice help in the Tower of Heaven…"

"Anything to help you, Gray. _Anything_." She added in a hushed voice.

Levy raised a brow, "Wait, are you going on a job with Gajeel or Gray?"

Juvia blinked a few times, snapped out of a daze, "…huh?"

"Gajeel or Gray? Who are you going on a job with?"

"…uh…"

She rolled her eyes, "I don't get it…"

"Me neither." Gajeel said, getting up and stretching briefly, "Well, I'm going to go look for some iron somewhere." He pat Levy's shoulder, "Later." He walked off.

Her cheeks blushed a bit as she jolted forward from the force of the pat. It was such a casual and friendly gesture, like they had been good pals for years, and yet, she knew next to nothing about him. Surely he didn't consider her a friend, right? Not after what he did to Team Shadow Gear.

Juvia watched on curiously, then turned back to Gray, "Let's go find a job then."

Gray recoiled slightly at her speed, "Lemme just…see if Natsu, Erza, or Ant are around first, m'kay?"

She bit her lip and gave a little nod, still beaming with the excitement of potentially working with Gray. While Gray meanwhile started walking off and looking around, saying, "Natsu? Hey flame-brain, you around?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Ah hah, hah…I'm evil. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought with a review!


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N:** Here's chapter fifty one! A huge shoutout to our reviews from weslyschraepen and rab0, your comments mean a ton. This chapter may or may not shed some light on that ;) As I stated in my other stories, with summer on the horizon, I'm going to try and keep multiple stories aloft at the same time, that being this one, my Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines story, and my Haganai one as an underdog. So hopefully I'll get through a handful of arcs before fall comes. Enjoy the chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

His hammer reared back as it collided into his green shield, in which parts of it were glowing green as it was heated. Only about half of his shield or less even fit on the anvil provided for him, so he had to hold it steady at all times. Nearby the back of his house was a small forge that he would attend to in order to keep the section of his shield that he was working on heated.

His front door opened and he heard Cana's voice, before she walked in closer, "Oh. There you are. Man, this stuff's pretty cool, Ant, I didn't know you had this back here."

He kept hammering away at the shield, loud clanks were heard with each strike. "My studies in requip and Enchantments are a bit lackluster…shall we say? So for now, I'm sticking to my own powers…"

"Enchantments?" She asked, "You know Enchantments?"

He shook his head, "I merely asked Freed for assistance." He said, "But he said that in order to even grasp a _basic_ understanding of the magic, I'll have to learn just about every single language this world has ever seen…" He sighed, "Needless to say it will take quite some time to master the art, seeing as that I'm whisked away with Natsu doing this or that nine times out of ten…"

"You found Freed too?" She asked, "Jeez, feels like I don't even _know_ you…"

His eyes widened as he dropped his hammer, "I…I see…"

She bent over and picked it up, handing it back, "You wanna grab lunch or something? Or go sit on the couch? I just feel like you've been really busy recently, you'll wear yourself thin."

"I'm…I'm sorry, Cana…" He said, "For a couple, we're not exactly doing many activities customary to what couples do. I…apologize for all the time I've spent away from you…"

"It's alright." She smirked and pinched his cheek, "You're a cutie, so I'll let it slide."

He smiled back, "Let me put my tools away, and then we'll be off."

"Where do you wanna go? I'll pay if it's not some sort of five-course meal."

He moved towards his simple living room, getting his armor on, "I have no preference, shall we see what the town has to offer us?"

"Yeah, sure." She smiled and held a hand out for him to hold.

He took one of his gauntlets off, grabbing her hand, "I realize it may be foolish of me to go out in my armor, but…it doesn't hurt to be safe."

"I always carry my cards with me." She said, "I don't have a problem with it."

He nodded, smiling and overall calming down. It took them a bit of a while to get out from the wilderness where the Emerald Knight lived to the actual streets of Magnolia, "Do you have any idea where we should go now?"

"I don't know. I don't even know what I'm in the mood for." She said, "Guess we can just walk and see where fate takes us." She smiled down at him.

He nodded, "Fair enough."

Her fingers strained a bit as they were laced in his, her eyes looking down at the stones roads as she did her best to step on one as they kept walking.

"Trying to stay within the lines?"

"Uh huh."

"Did I ever tell you that I enjoy your childlike sense of enjoyment?"

She smirked as she stopped and looked up at him, "I can't tell if that's you being you or your fancy way of telling me to cut it out."

"It was a compliment."

She kissed his helmet, "Thanks, stud." She looked up at a tea shop on the corner that was still open, "Hey, this looks like your cup of tea…huh?" She elbowed him, "Get it?"

"Yes, Cana, I get it."

She cackled as they walked in, instantly being assaulted with the aroma of teas and baked goods, "Wonder if they have scones…"

"I wouldn't be surprised."

A bubbly looking girl was standing behind the counter, she perked up as she saw them walk in, "Hi! Can I help you?"

"Yeah, hey girl." Cana smiled, "I'll have…" She leaned over the counter, scanning over the items on the menu, and of course, the actual checkout girl, "Something chai. And a raspberry scone."

"Okay." She nodded, "And you?" She looked at the Emerald Knight.

"Green tea and a raspberry scone." The Emerald Knight said.

"Okay." She smiled and scratched something down on a piece of paper, added up the prices, then opened up the cash register, "That'll be eleven-eighty."

After paying the girl, Cana and the Emerald Knight sat at a booth together while their food was being prepared, "So." She smiled, "Lay it on me. What the hell have you been up to recently?"

"Aside from the training?" He asked, as he sat across from her and took his helmet off.

"Well, tell me about that, too. Tell me about everything!"

He shrugged, "I just wanted to get stronger for the rest of my team. I didn't do it to intentionally stay away from you. I wanted to hone some of the latent powers within my armor and my weaponry. It seems I'm able to discovery new mysteries about them each time I train."

She crossed her ankles under the table and played with a paper napkin, "You really have a lot of drive." She looked back up at him, "It's inspiring. Maybe if I tried as much as you do, I'd actually get somewhere."

"In the future we could train together."

She gave a little smile, "Yeah. I'd like that." She sat up a bit, "So tell me more."

"About the training?"

"Sure."

"Well, I already told you that I'd need to read a library before I get Enchantments right, and requip is a bit too difficult to master in such a short time as well." He said, "So…I've been working with my own magic. Namely the lightning capabilities in my lance and the magical properties in my shield. I'm hoping that I'll be able to unlock all the secrets of them."

"I should help you with that lightning. See if I can do some sort of lightning spell or something."

"That's why earlier I said that Juvia and I were quite a good team in the Tower of Heaven…we were facing a miscreant who used mostly sound based magic, and he was immune to water magic. But, once I got soaked, most of my attacks became amplified."

"Ah hah. Guess that's why Juvia responded so badly to Laxus's lacrima."

Their drinks and food was quietly dispersed, to which Cana snatched up and stared eating right away.

He ate with one hand and put the other hand on his helmet, the grip on it tightening, "Do you mind if I tell you a secret?"

She grinned, "Not at all."

"It's about _where_ my armor came from."

"Ooh. I'll keep quiet."

"Archduke Caesar…the…nobleman who had Phantom attack us…wanted his seven knight trainees to be invincible…so…he went to the Celestial Spirit world and drained as many spirits as he could of their magic, taking the raw power source and fueling it into rock-hard gemstone armor." He said, "A lot of lives were lost that day, a lot of spirits ruthlessly killed by the madman." He pointed at her, "That's why humans aren't allowed in the Celestial Spirit world."

Her eyes were wide, "And…this Archduke, he's dead, right?"

"No, he lives in a remote location, as I do." He said, "We're the only two living beings from that age."

"…you plan on killing him, right?"

"I'm not sure." He looked down, "He's insane as it is, and his physical condition has mostly deteriorated… _physically_ humans shouldn't go into the Celestial Spirit world either, the pressure could kill them, or drive them mad."

"So you think Mother Nature will do the trick?" She took a sip of her tea, satisfied with the temperature.

"At least, she certainly won't need my help…"

She sighed and sat back, "I still don't like the thought of him hanging around. Whatever."

"As twisted as it is, he's the only person from my past left…"

"I hear ya." She muttered, "Wish everyone we have to care about is easy to deal with..."

He nodded, "Sometimes I just wish that _one_ of the other knights survived…"

"I'm sorry…" She said softly, reaching over to take his hand.

"It's alright." He squeezed her hand, "Your companionship really helps." He smiled, "I like that I can rely on you."

"Uh huh." She gave a small smile, "I'm here for ya."

He swallowed the last bit of his scone, "Alright, what should our next course of action be?"

"Depends on what you're in the mood for." She said, "We could go back to your place, or the guild…" She peered out the windows, "We got enough time for a round er two of drinks."

"I'll go wherever you want."

"Yeah, I gotta look for a job anyway." She stood up, "You good?"

He nodded, "Yes, I'm ready."

They got up and left the building, Cana gripping his hand with one of hers again, "When's your birthday? Please tell me it's in May."

"Because that's the emerald's month as a birthstone?"

"Uh huh."

"Lucky for you, I was born the seventh of May."

She giggled like a little girl, "That makes me really happy." She held his hand with both hands briefly, "I'll have to prepare some sort of gift then, it's getting close. Maybe I could tell your fortune for you…"

"You've done that for me since before we've been together."

"Hmm…you're right…" She sighed, "I still might wanna do it anyway. To tell what kind of year you're gonna have." She said, "So how old will you be?"

"Twenty-three."

"Twenty-three…" She hummed, "That's a good age. Ugh, I just really just don't want to hit my thirties…that's like, the time of terror…when liquor tolerance starts to show…"

"Is that right?" He chuckled, "I think you'll be fine at age thirty." He said, then he froze, his smile gone, his eyes frozen on what was in front of him.

She laughed hopefully, then looked over towards him and saw his expression. She turned her gaze to the man before them, "Who is this?" She asked quietly.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, the long dark hair down their back, the brigadier's jacket, the snide eyes, "I have to say, I'm not used to seeing you sitting at a desk, condescending your personnel."

"Am I hearing you right, Antipholus?" Caesar smiled, "Who is this?" He looked at Cana, "Have you brought a courtesan before me?"

He growled, clenching his hands into fists, "She is _not_ a courtesan…she is—"

"Well, maybe not _yet_."

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Cana sneered, letting go of the Emerald Knight's hand.

"It's Caesar." The Emerald Knight said, looking quite nervous, even though the Archduke was at least in his fifties and had to be harmless.

"I'll have you know, Antipholus, that I am not here to partake in bad business in your part." He said, "I'm moving, to Bosco."

"Bosco?"

He nodded, "The financial stability looks a bit better there, perhaps I'll start over." He mused, "I'm going to the bank to recall all the Jewel I own, and then I will take the first train out of this dreadful country…"

"So…you can kill more harmless shit there?" Cana asked, "What, did the authorities catch on to your little game?"

His beady little black eyes went from the Emerald Knight to Cana, he still couldn't quite process that they were together, "I suppose the shops were out of leashes and muzzles, hmm?" He smiled, "Oh yes, Antipholus, do give me your monthly fee that you owe us, won't you?"

"What?" The Emerald Knight asked, "But I've never given money _directly_ to you, I've always given it to the debt collector you send."

"Yes, well, for this month, there's a change in plans. Out with it." He outstretched a hand.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, humiliated at this point, he reached into his wallet and gave Caesar everything he had on him.

Caesar looked annoyed, even though it wasn't a bad amount of money in the slightest, "That's all you've got? You know, I've always thought that you were a sorry excuse for a knight! It seems you haven't changed at all!"

"Don't give him your money." Cana took out her deck of cards, "Let me kill the son of the bitch and you don't have to worry about him again." She said firmly.

"Cana, don't." The Emerald Knight held a hand out, "He's…he's dangerous…even at this age…if you cause a scene, you could get locked up forever…"

Caesar licked his lips at the challenge, pocketing the Emerald Knight's money, "Very well, then…Antipholus, I'll stop for a bite to eat, perhaps, and then it's off to the bank." He started walking off, "Though we may never see each other again." His eyes narrowed, "My debt collector _will_ continue to make his rounds." He said, "And you'll want to be upfront to avoid interest…"

Cana scowled, "Fuck that dick." She grumbled, reaching in her top and handing him a stack of cash, "I know you're chivalrous, but just take it. You need it more than I do."

The Emerald Knight fell to his knees, "I'm a burden to everyone I'm near…"

"No you aren't." She got down to his level and put her hands on his shoulders, "Why don't we go to the guild and get you something to drink to cheer you up?"  
He gave a small smile, "Very well."

* * *

"Pfft…" Natsu said, sitting at one of the tables in the guildhall and looking annoyed, "I can't believe gramps kicked Laxus out, who the hell am I gonna fight now?"

"I don't know…" Gray said, "Me, Gajeel, Elfman…anyone? You can still fight people…"

"Yeah, but I still think it's dumb that Laxus isn't here anymore…"

"Drinks, boys?" Mirajane asked.

"I'll take one." Cana walked in with her boyfriend and sat on one of the stools next to Gray. A pillar nearby crunched from Juvia's vice grip.

"If you've got tea, I'll take that." The Emerald Knight sat beside Cana.

"Hey guys, you…you okay Ant?" Gray asked.

"No…we…we saw Caesar…" The Emerald Knight said.

"Whoa, seriously?" Natsu asked.

"Just, out in the streets?" Happy asked.

The Emerald Knight nodded, "Supposedly he's moving to Bosco…"

Cana seemed bitter with the mention of the man, "That damn asshole practically robbed us."

"Are you short on funds?" Mirajane asked.

"No, we'll be fine. I'm gonna go look for a job." She got up and sauntered over to the job board.

"I should too." The Emerald Knight sighed, "I have to, I have no choice…if I don't…I…"

"Yeah, I've been trying to find a job…but, the board's pretty empty recently…" Natsu said.

"I'll ask the Master tomorrow if there's another shipment." Mirajane said as she poured the Emerald Knight a cup of tea, "There's been a few occasions where he accidentally leaves them in his room."

"He must be pretty swamped right now with everything that's happened recently." Gray said.

The Emerald Knight watched the job board with Cana, overall looking miserable, "I think I should look for work tomorrow, I might just retire to my home…"

She gave him a worried look, "Want me to walk you back?" He made sure no one was looking first, then he gave a small nod. Cana took his hand as she left the guild with him, briefly exchanging a glare with the half-drunk Macao on her way out.

It was silent between the two of them before they left the vicinity of the guildhall, before Cana asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What would there even be to discuss?" He asked hopelessly.

"Anything. I'll listen."

He sighed, being quiet for a great long while, to the point where many moments passed, "How can I be as strong as the rest of my team with all the demons from my past weighing me down?"

"Well, we're here to lift them away from you."

He smiled weakly, "And for that I cannot thank you enough."

She gave a smile back, "In order to give you some sense of relief, you need to talk to us."

"I don't know what there is to say." He said, "How Caesar treated me out in public earlier, it's how he treated me my entire life, how he treated all of us…" He sighed, "He was a bit off _before_ the rest of them died or…before we were even recruited, and going to the Celestial Spirit world didn't exactly help matters…"

"So…how does that make you feel? What can we do to help you with that?"

"It's my issue." He said, "I must face it, alone. With any luck, his movement to Bosco will hopefully resolve the situation itself."

"…okay." She said softly, before taking his face and kissing him, "You just need to let us know if you need help."

"I'm aware." He said, kissing her back, then his face froze again, as he overheard the conversation of two passerby's.

"The whole bank is locked down…" One of them said.

"Yeah, I heard, by a Dark Guild. Naked Mummy, it's called." Another said.

"I hope no one gets hurt in the bank…it must be a heavy robbery if a Dark Guild's involved…" A third person said.

The Emerald Knight was as still as a statue. Without any warning, he darted off in a random direction.

Cana's eyes widened, "Ant! Ant, wait!" She chased after him.

The Emerald Knight saw the bank, sure enough, it was crowded with onlookers, and guards, "Excuse me sir, you can't pass through here, there's a robbery going on." A guard said.

"I'm the head rune knight, let me in." The Emerald Knight said.

"Uh…right…" He looked confused, "Yes sir, go on in." Cana too, weaseled herself in after him.

Inside were dozens of hostages tied up, as well as thugs filling in large burlap sacks with money. The ringleader was a bald, tan-skinned man, with his guild's emblem on his bald head, "Looks like we got ourselves a joker here…" He said in a high-pitched, gravelly voice, aiming his magic shotgun at the one hostage who wasn't bound, "Wanna die, old man?"

Caesar sarcastically smirked back, "Oh, my dear old heart, I'm not sure I'll be able to take it…"

"Swords of Retribution!" The Emerald Knight held his lance up and twelve swords flashed out, knocking out a good chunk of the thugs, and freeing all of the hostages.

"Damn it! He brought back up!" The ringleader screeched, "Kill him!" He fired his gun at Caesar.

The Emerald Knight jumped in the way, blocking the shots with his shield.

Cana looked beyond irritated that the Emerald Knight was helping Caesar, but regardless, she took out her deck of cards and started dishing out the attacks at the thugs.

The ringleader growled, "Someone get them! Attack!"

His followers tried to regroup in order to launch some sort of attack, but Caesar was quicker. He put on a few gemstone rings, giving a high-pitched, blaring laugh that belonged to a psychopathic clown as he fired bright deadly lasers from them, knocking back any thug who went near and decorating the floors with their blood.

The Emerald Knight ran at the ringleader, as his lance pulsated with green lightning, "Emerald Hawk!" He slashed through him, the ringleader coughed up blood and fell back.

Cana sighed as the remaining thugs retreated, "Dammit all…" She sighed, "I'm too sober for this shit."

"Well, well, I must say. I'm surprised I gained a helping hand from you and your mongrel, Antipholus." Caesar said, turning to leave, "Perhaps I will waive a month or two of your fee off for it."

"Don't read too much into it." The Emerald Knight spat, "I only did it because you and I are all we've got."

"Is that right?" He snickered, walking off, "Farewell, Antipholus…"

Cana hated the silence that followed, "So your name's Antipholus…?"

He sheathed his lance and his shield, "I wonder if the bank is going to be more thankful than he was…"

"I'm sure they will."

He nodded, "Well, now I'm _really_ going to head home. You're welcome to come, unless you'd rather go to your own quarters."

"I'll walk with you." She said, "I think with the amount of crazy stuff that's been going on, it's worth it."

* * *

In a dilapidated building deep within a canyon, the ringleader who the Emerald Knight brutalized was tied up upside down, it looked like he'd been clubbed to near death, in addition to the lightning and scars the Emerald Knight had given him.

"The money, where is it?" The abuser asked in a deep, dopey voice. He looked like a mix between a chimp and a mummy, having a face that resembles the latter. The guild mark of Naked Mummy was on his nose, and his wild blonde hair went up into a spike. His lips were adorned with makeup that looked as if his mouth was sewn together like a mummy.

"I'm sorry…an official guild got in the way!" The bald man sobbed, "There was nothing we can do! Please don't kill me!"

"The money, where is it?"

"I just told you!"

"Damn it, you're repeating the same damn thing over and over again!" Another chimp-like man said, wearing a white disco jacket, a big black afro, and overall having darker skin and a prominent jaw, "If he don't got it, he don't got it, Big Bro Gatô!" He remarked, sitting on a barrel.

"There's no time to laugh, Big Bro Zatô!" Gatô said, "The deadline for the Oración Seis protection tribute is coming up fast! There ain't any Dark Guilds that can stand up against the Oración Seis!"

"You're right, I know…still…they want an awful lot of tribute money recently, I wonder what they're planning…" Zatô said.

Overlooking their base from a high cliff was a man petting his large purple serpent, "I can hear it…" He said, in a smooth, baritone voice, "The sounds of change, the sounds of rebirth, the sounds of a new beginning!" He gave a confident grin, "The extinction of light!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Ah, and here comes the rush of another one of my favorite arcs - the Oración Seis. These guys don't get enough screen-time (page-time?) in my opinion, so we'll be sure to sprinkle them in here and there. Especially since Mashima went out of his way to flesh out their backstories. Another note in upcoming chapters, (AKA: the next one), there will be a few character swaps. Mostly in the form of Ichia. I can't handle that demon. Thanks for reading, hope you liked it!


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N:** Here's chapter fifty-two! Wonder who I replaced Ichiya with…hmm…what OCs might have had a huge role in another fic I wrote? Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

"Man, that job was almost too easy…" Natsu said, stretching his arms behind his head, "But at least we finally _got_ one…" He said as they were headed back to the guild.

"Yeah, but I can't help but feel as though we would make more if you didn't destroy half the stuff we had to protect…" Gray muttered.

"What was that, Popsicle punk?" They butt heads.

"I think it's a pretty good haul, why worry?" Happy asked.

"Cause…" Gray said, "I hear that there's gonna be a new Magic Council. One that probably won't tolerate our bullshit as much as the old one did."

The Emerald Knight nodded, "That's because Jellal had a hand in destroying their old base of operations with the Etherion fiasco, did he not?"

"Oh yeah, huh…that feels like forever ago…" Natsu said.

"Uh-huh, and Mister Yajima, the guy who gramps gets along real well with, he's retired now." Gray said, "And he was our biggest defender…"

"What does he do now?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"I heard he opened up a restaurant or something."

"Seems like a fitting retirement if you ask me." Erza said, "Though very unfortunate for us."

"I hope the food's good…" Natsu said.

The Emerald Knight wearily smiled, "You'll just eat the fire anyway." He chuckled.

"You okay Ant?" Happy flew at his level, "You've been tired all day…"

He nodded, "Cana and I were out last night…doing an…unofficial job…"

"Ooh! An unofficial job, I bet there was a lot of—"

The Emerald Knight slammed a gauntleted hand over Happy's mouth, "Sometimes I wonder why I tell you any information about myself…"

"What kind of job was it?" Gray asked.

"Nothing. It was just more odious deeds involving Caesar, nothing more and nothing less."

Erza began to look concerned as well, "I was under the impression he was in Bosco."

"Yes, that's where he's headed." He said, "I would like it if I never saw the cretin again."

Natsu and Gray exchanged a glance, Happy too looked a little worried.

Erza averted her gaze to the actual street itself before asking, "How is Cana?"

"She's quite fine." The Emerald Knight said, "Frazzled, with me being in and out constantly, but, I believed we patched the dispute up."

"There was a dispute?" She smirked, as Gray, Natsu, and Happy did their best to hide their snickers

"A small one…I confess, I have been neglecting her. It's my fault."

She chuckled softly, "I feel as though Cana's very hardy when it comes to neglect. I'm sure she's fine."

He quickly nodded, "You're right." He said, when they entered the guildhall, inside there was a huge chart showing hundreds of guild names. In the center was a large purple bubble with three guild names written in larger ink than the others, "What is this graphic organizer?"

Mirajane was standing across from it, observing it, "An organizational chart on the dark guilds."

"Yes, I drew it." Reedus nodded, standing next to her.

The Emerald Knight scanned it up and down, "I've always seen the Dark Guilds as reckless and uncivilized, I had no idea there was an _organization_ to them at all…"

"It almost seems as if their movements are…coordinated." Mirajane said, "Or at least, that's what we've noticed. We may have to beat them at their own game."

"What's that big gathering in the center?" Elfman asked.

"The Balam Alliance." Juvia said, her dark eyes shimmering over every guild listed, "A medley of the three most powerful dark guilds, if you will. All of them control certain dark guilds, which they use to control the underworld."

The Emerald Knight kept skimming it over, he pointed to a smaller Dark Guild, "I see that Eisenwald is working under the guild…Oración Seis…is that right?"

"Yes, it was the guild that held Erigor." Erza noted.

"So Eisenwald was one of these many Sub-Guilds that works for the larger picture, like Oración Seis?" Gray asked.

Elfman nodded, "Ghoul Spirit, that Dark Guild that the Thunder Legion took out, they worked for the Oración Seis too."

"When Gajeel and I were in Phantom, we loved to crush all the dark guilds under the Oración Seis!" Juvia beamed.

"Probably not a good idea to look so happy when you say it like that…" Gray said.

"So it's fair to assume that the Oración Seis is a powerful guild if their lesser guilds give us trouble?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Yeah, but they're nothing to worry about…I hear they only got six wizards in their guild…" Wakaba swatted a hand.

"Yeah, how small can a guild get?" Macao snickered.

"A guild with six wizards could still be one of the most powerful guilds. Quality over quantity." Mirajane said.

"Funny you all should mention the Oración Seis." Makarov said as he came down the stairs, "Because we'll be taking them on!"

The guild was silent, other than the chilled gasps of those who were absolutely shocked by the Master's declaration.

Mirajane grinned, "Welcome back, Master!"

Erza glared at Mirajane, before stepping forward towards Makarov, "Master…I ask with all seriousness what you're implying…"

"At the meeting the other day, all the other guild masters have become more and more concerned with how open the Oración Seis seem to be acting. Now it's to the point where we cannot ignore their activity any longer. They must be stopped." Makarov said.

"So _we're_ going to take on the Oración Seis?" Gray asked, "Can we even do something like that?"

"Is it really within our responsibilities?" Juvia asked.

"No…this time the enemy is far too great." Makarov said, "If we went after the Oración Seis alone, we would face the wrath of the entire Balam Alliance…" He said, "So, we've decided to form a coalition of official guilds!"

"A coalition?" Everyone asked.

"Fairy Tail…Lamia Scale…Blue Pegasus…and Cait Shelter…each of these four guilds will send selected representatives, and together we will vanquish the Oración Seis!"

"So we're really gonna team up with other guilds for this, huh?" Gray asked.

"Pfft, we should be enough, hell, _I_ should be enough." Natsu grinned.

"No, Natsu." Erza said, "Think about the repercussions."

The Emerald Knight pondered it over, "So it would be four guilds against six dark wizards…hmm…surely those six warriors are powerful to yield such a reputation…the question is, who are these people?"

* * *

"I can hear it…" A maroon haired man said, on a mountaintop with his five allies, "The sound of light going extinct!" He wore a dark navy shirt, with a white trench coat over it, with red tight jeans and sneakers, his hair was very thick, and his voice was extremely deep. His eyes were a deep purple and he was petting a giant purple snake which was wrapped around him.

"Now, now, don't get too far ahead of yourself, Cobra. Don't go too fast." Another man on the mountaintop lectured. He had blonde hair in a Mohawk, bushy blonde brows, a pair of shades, a pointed nose, a red and white racer's jacket, and white pants and sneakers. His voice was very laid-back.

"Pfft, Racer, don't _you_ lecture me about getting ahead of myself." Cobra swatted a hand, "The magic we've been spending all this time searching for, it's right here in front of us! I can hear it!"

A man with long, wavy orange hair chuckled in a deep, booming voice, his face was jagged as if it were a polygon. He had the biggest girth out of all of his allies, and he was dressed like a preacher. He wore a black suit with a large white collar, and a red cryptic necklace. White leg warmers adorned his calves and were tucked into his brown boots. In his right hand was a red bible, "This magic brings about nothing but darkness, destroying all of the light!"

"Nirvana!" The only girl said, and that much was clear with her outfit. It was a short white dress that just about reached her knees with a plunging neckline, (and that was being generous), and seemed to be comprised of feathers. Her white hair was cut in a pixie-cut and tied with a navy blue bow that matched her socks and opera gloves. There was a pair of tattoos on her collarbone that appeared to be angel wings, and a bit of her hair was styled at the top with a halo. There was something mischievous about her eyes, something dark and mysterious, like she was constantly plotting against everyone.

The fifth member was asleep, he had black and yellow pants, red boots, and a black tank top. He was sleeping on a red flying carpet, and he had black hair that was styled white at the back, and a considerable helping of mascara and purple lipstick. He had nothing to add to the conversation aside from occasional snoring.

Their leader had extremely dark skin, adorned with black tattoos all over his face and bare chest. He wore a large white jacket, and he had white shoulder-length hair with sinister black eyes. His pants were blue and were lined on the inside and outside with fur, and he wore black combat boots. "The legendary Nirvana will soon be in our hands." He said in a low, rumbling, ancient voice.

"Should we really be putting so much effort into it?" Racer asked, "This Nirvana magic?"

The leader pointed his staff forward, there was a skull with a leafy headdress on the end of it, and a blue orb was in its mouth, "Observe!" The leader said, pointing out towards the forest below. Most of it glowed purple and was decaying quite rapidly, "The land is marching towards its death, it is reacting to the grand source of power from Nirvana!"

* * *

"You're leaving again?" Cana asked, setting her mug down. She was sitting at a table with Macao and Wakaba, "Seriously?"

The Emerald Knight nodded, adjusting his helmet, "I'm one of the representatives they've chosen to lead Fairy Tail into battle…"

"Pretty serious battle then." She looked back at her drink, then waved, "Good luck, then."

"Perhaps I can ask the Master to let you join last minute." He said, "I'm sure he wouldn't turn away extra help."

She chuckled softly, "He'd turn me down flat, that's for sure. You go out there and knock 'em dead. I'll keep my eye on the booze."

"I'll see to it that we're back as soon as possible." He smiled, "For you."

She gave a little smile back, "Take care out there." He gave a final nod, walking away. She sighed and slammed her drink on the table after taking a swig of it. "Fuck. He's almost starting to annoy me now, you know?"

"Hmm, what do you mean?" Wakaba asked.

"Don't ask." Macao said, then he looked at Cana, "I know what you're thinking, and you shouldn't do it."

"Do what?"

"Nothing."

She gave a sinful smirk, "Ha, that's cute, but it's too late. When I said I couldn't handle it, I meant I couldn't handle it. It was either that or…jump of the roof of the guild. Honestly, that's what it felt like."

"He's just going on a mission for the Master, what was he supposed to do, tell him 'no'?"

"I don't give a damn about that. He doesn't even care about me. He'll be happy without me weighing him down." She said, "That's what the entire guild thinks of me at this point. Might as well stick to my routine."

"So that's why you didn't bother following his invitation to go with him." He crossed his arms, "But why didn't you just dump right then and there before he said goodbye?"

"I'm gonna wait for him to dump me. That way there won't be any tears."

"He's not gonna do that, I doubt he even knows what that is…"

"He'll probably suggest we 'end our courtship' or some bullshit like that." She took another sip of her drink, "I don't give a fuck how it happens, or when either. I just don't want him to be upset. He's terrible at romance but at least he's a pretty good guy. Just not my type."

"Huh…so…you guys are over and done with…huh?" Wakaba smiled, lighting his pipe.

"I still think you're going about this the wrong way." Macao said, "If you try anything funny, it's gonna get _really_ ugly, really fast…"

"Things are fine right now. He doesn't suspect a damn thing." She chewed on her thumbnail, "I was thinking of throwing in some frustrated comments just to keep things real, but he doesn't seem to be suspicious of anything."

"You need to be upfront with him. Even if it means breaking up with him when he comes back."

"I don't need your advice, alright? I'm fine. I'm more than fine."

Wakaba's grin got bigger, "So if you and Ant are history…then—"

"I don't need your company tonight, you geezer." She raised a brow, "I don't take anyone into my bed who's more than twice my age." She said, then she winked at Macao, "With a few exceptions."

Macao looked away. He might have to get involved into this mess of a relationship after all, whether he felt comfortable doing it or not, the Emerald Knight was going to be faced with some unpleasant news when he got back.

* * *

It was a bumpy ride to their meeting place, the five of them sharing somewhat of a silence at first. The Emerald Knight looked through the carriage window as they all rode in the back, he looked weary, distracted, so many things were on his mind at once. Mirajane was actually a demon, Cana seemed to be acting stranger and stranger as the days went on, and Caesar continued to torture him day after day.

Not to mention this mission. _Four_ guilds were being sent against six wizards. How powerful were these people? It made him nervous, no doubt this would be more extreme than anything they've been up against before.

"Hey…Ant…" Gray tapped his armor with his knuckle, "You okay in there?" He asked, "If you're not fully with us, you're gonna be more harm than good, alright?"

The Emerald Knight blinked a few times, as if he were on a different planet, "Yes, sorry…"

"Yes, that's right…" Erza said softly, "We're here if you need to get anything off your chest." She said, then added, "I'm sure it's about Caesar."

He sighed, "Yes…that…as well as the apprehension for this mission. I'm going to be blunt…" He said, "I'm not as good as you three. It would have been more suitable if Juvia or Gajeel was in my place."

Happy shrugged, "I'm pretty sure they took a job of their own."

"Urp…" Natsu said, lying on the floor, "Are we there yet?"

"Nah, it's good that he got us together as a team, we all know each other the best." Gray said.

"Well, we are supposed to fight with other guilds from today on. It's vital the five of us get along very well." Erza said, stomping on Natsu's chest to make him 'feel better'.

"Hey! Look out there!" Happy pointed, "It's the place we're supposed to meet up!"

Once the carriage stopped, they were greeted with a femininely decorated vacation house, complete with heart decorations and anything that wasn't completely stone was painted or otherwise colored pink.

The inside of the structure reinforced this, as there was a lavish dark red couch, a grand pink carpet, and immaculate decorations and paintings all around.

"What is this place?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"A retreat house for Master Bob of Blue Pegasus." Erza answered, crossing her arms and looking generally uncomfortable.

"Oh god, not _him_ …" Gray said, as half his clothes were already gone, "Please no…I remember him from the guild master's conference and that was not fun…"

Natsu fell over after taking three steps into the building, "We there yet?"

"Yeah Natsu, we're here…" Happy shook his head.

"Members of Fairy Tail!" A spotlight shined on three men in the center of the room, "We've been waiting for you! We're the chosen members to represent Blue Pegasus! The Tri-Men!"

"I am Hibiki of the Hundred Nights!" The man in the center said, wearing a black suit with a light blue shirt underneath it, his hair was light brunette styled very well.

"I am Eve of the Holy Nights!" The shortest man said, having quite the baby face compared to the other two. He wore a pink undershirt, his hair was a bit shorter than Hibiki's, and it was blonde.

"I am Ren of the Hollow Nights!" The last man said, his skin was much tanner, and his hair was black, he wore a yellow undershirt.

The Emerald Knight raised a brow, "These are our allies?" He asked, "How have they prepared themselves? Where are their weapons?"

"Urp…" Natsu said, still showing no signs of moving.

"Damn it! My clothes!" Gray looked back, following the trail of clothes he left behind.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "Honestly, hardly _any of us_ seem ready for this…"

Like magnets, the three of them approached Erza, "The rumors of your beauty were no exaggeration…" Hibiki said.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Titania." Eve smiled.

"Now…if you'll step this way…" Ren said, as they guided her to the couch, "Take a seat." He said.

"Would you like to be soothed by a steaming cloth?" Hibiki held out a small damp towel.

"Would you like soda? Whiskey?" Eve asked.

She sat down on the couch reluctantly and crossed her arms and legs, closing her eyes as well, "No."

"Damn…that's defiant…" Ren smiled, "Kinda cute though…"

Gray frowned as he slid his white trench coat back on, "Who the hell are these assholes?"

Erza sighed as she turned to Eve, who was sitting on her left. She gave a slight smile, "We greet you warmly, and wish to work with you and your—"

"You're so pretty!" Eve gushed, "Your face is so rich with expression, I've always adored you!"

Erza looked ticked enough as it is, but then Ren slid a wine glass over to her, "Here…you can have it if you want but it's not like I made it for you…"

The Emerald Knight blinked, "So vulgar…is…is this how they fight?"

"You must be exhausted from your journey here." Hibiki winked, "Allow us to serve you here, forever!"

"Hey!" An angry, gravelly voice came from atop the stairs, "What the hell is going on down there?" The voice got a bit closer as the figure descended down the stairs, "Of course, I leave you idiots alone for ten minutes, and you gotta flirt with every damn woman with a pulse, don't you?"

The Emerald Knight faced the stairs, "Who is that?"

"It's Slade…" Ren gulped.

"…Slade…?" Erza asked as she stood up and wandered over to the stairs, "I have no idea who this man is…"

He sported short brunette hair, matching his brown eyes. He wore a light-blue button-up shirt with a mosaic tie, as if a large assortment of random colors were splattered all over it. On his lower body were black jeans and dress shoes, and on his back were a pair of sheathed katanas crossed like an X. A faint blush spread on his cheeks as he saw Erza, "Erza Scarlet…you're the strongest woman in Fairy Tail, aren't you?" He asked, his voice a bit gentler while he wasn't yelling, but still raspy, "I've heard of you."

"Dang right she is!" Happy nodded proudly, "She'll kick your butt!"

"Provoking the other guilds probably isn't a good idea…" The Emerald Knight muttered.

The Tri-Men bowed towards Slade, "Please excuse our conduct sir." They bowed, "Pardon our behavior…"

"That's better." Slade said, having reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm afraid I haven't heard of you." Erza stepped forward and held out a hand, "What sort of magic do you use?"

"Uh…" Slade's blush increased, "Right…uh…I use Venom Magic…" He shook her hand, "It's…not that special…" He said, then he frowned as the handshake broke, "I knew it…" He glared at the Tri-Men, "You guys were trying to seduce Erza, weren't you? Go clean this shit up right now!" He pointed at all the food and drinks they offered her, which were probably going to go to waste anyway.

"Yes sir!" The Tri-Men made haste to follow Slade's orders.

"He seems to be a bit young to be a boss…" The Emerald Knight said, "What is he, fifteen, sixteen?"

"Everyone's young to you Ant, you're going through your midlife crisis, remember?" Happy asked.

"That joke is seriously getting old!"

"I know a little bit about all of you." Slade said, "Erza is a master-class wizard, Titania, queen of the fairies, also the master of Requip. Natsu is a Fire Dragon slayer, and his buddy Happy. And Gray…uh…uses Ice Magic and strips…I think…"

"Hey!" Gray snapped.

"Although I don't know much about you." Slade looked at the Emerald Knight, "They said a knight was coming, but…it just confused me, I thought they meant Erza, at first…"

The Emerald Knight smiled, "I am the Emerald Knight, a practitioner of a varied style of magic, mostly sword fighting and electricity. I doubt it's anything you've seen before."

Slade blinked, "Your name is 'the Emerald Knight'?"

"Call him Ant!" Happy insisted.

Erza chuckled softly, "And your name was Slade?"

Slade nodded, "Slade Lockwood. I'm the leader of those three hooligans, the Tri-Men…I guess you could call me the ace of the Blue Pegasus guild…"

"A prodigy…" The Emerald Knight mused quietly.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Slade. We were actually here for help. I'm sure you've heard about the chaos surrounding the dark guilds recently." Erza said.

"Yeah, you pretty boys even know how to fight?" Gray frowned.

Slade's face darkened, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He asked, "They may be fools, but Hibiki, Ren, and Eve can kick some serious ass if they want too! And that goes double, no, triple, for me!"

"Then I guess you wouldn't mind a little practice fight, huh?"

He drew his swords, the katanas were black with purple stripes coiling around them, most likely used to poison the foe directly on contact.

"Gray, stop." Erza demanded.

"Ooh, can I join the fight?" Natsu jumped into the fray.

"Just give us five minutes, Erza." Gray said.

Slade slashed his sword horizontally, and a big purple wave of poison shot out at a relatively quick speed, Gray barely dodged it.

A figure at the entrance looked as though he was about to be splattered by it, but he froze the poison in place, so it crystalized into a purple jagged sphere. "You choose to greet me with this noxious smelling chemical?" A deep, refined voice asked. Lyon entered the room, dressed a little bit differently, in a red tunic, white trench coat, and gray pants with an intricate black design on them, "I'll have to inform Lamia Scale that Blue Pegasus is a guild of brutes…"

"Oh great, they're multiplying…" Slade muttered.

"Lyon!" Gray looked shocked.

"Gray!" Lyon looked equally as shocked.

"You joined a guild?" Natsu asked.

"Hmm!" He threw the poison ball aside, "So I suppose we're teamed up to destroy the Oración Seis, how rich…"

"I must admit, I'm not sure how I feel about working with Lyon after all the trouble we went through with Deliora…" The Emerald Knight said quietly.

"So you really changed for the better?" Gray asked.

"Yes, if we must phrase it like that." Lyon smiled, "I take it these four fancily dressed ruffians are the Blue Pegasus representatives?"

"Hey, watch it, Romeo!" Slade snapped, "I don't care how many of you ice wizards there are, I'll poison you all to the bone before you can land a single attack!"

"Not if you're frozen solid first…" Lyon said.

"Then I guess it'll be a race then, won't it?" Slade growled.

"Lyon, don't provoke him." Gray said.

"Were _you_ not just doing that earlier?" Lyon raised a brow.

"It's like that time I ran into Caesar the other day…" The Emerald Knight sighed quietly.

"He isn't the only one here from Lamia Scale." They heard a set of high heels as Sherry soon trailed in after Lyon. Her hair looked much longer and fuller as it fell down her neck and past her shoulders. She wore a little pale-pink dress now, with black flower embellishments along the top. "I hope you all haven't forgotten about me, because I haven't stopped loving you all…"

"I don't even know who she is…" Erza muttered.

"God, who the hell is this now?" Slade asked.

"Someone fight me, anyone?" Natsu jumped up and down.

"Sherry…" The Emerald Knight looked at her, surprised that she was there, she could tell.

She smiled sweetly at the Emerald Knight, then winked, "Hello, my love. You're looking well as ever."

The Emerald Knight blushed a deep shade of red, "Hello…you…you seem to be as forward as ever…" He said, getting quieter for the last bit.

A man cleared his throat as he entered, his footsteps nearly causing the building to tremble with each step. He was a tall, hulking, and muscular man, with a stern face, sharp eyebrows, and no hair. His chest was bare, aside from the belts that crossed over it. He wore a mantle with blue and white stripes, as well as thick green sleeves. On his lower half was a blue loincloth that was wrapped around his waist, as well as boots made entirely out of fur. "We're here to unite as allies." He said in a commanding, low-pitched voice, "I hope we're all getting along alright."

"Jura…" Lyon looked back, "Yes, of course we are, sir." He gave a small bow.

"Jura!?" Erza turned around, her eyes wide.

"So he's…" Ren started.

"The ace of Lamia Scale…" Eve said.

"Iron Rock Jura!" Hibiki said.

"Who?" Natsu scratched his head.

"One of the Ten Wizard Saints!" Happy smiled.

"So he's comparable to Master Makarov and Master Jose of Phantom Lord?" The Emerald Knight asked.

Sherry gave a prideful smirk, "You fairies and Pegasus have four members here, but we only need three, because our love—"

"Yes, yes, I'm quite aware." The Emerald Knight swatted a hand.

"So we have three guilds accounted for." Jura crossed his arms, "So all that's left is the Cait Shelter guild."

"Not…sure how accurate _guild_ would be, in Cait Shelter's case…" Slade said, "I hear they're only sending one person…"

"Just one?" Gray's jaw dropped, "A mission as deadly as this and they could only bother sending _one_ person?!"

"By that logic, this person is most likely very powerful, a valuable ally to have." The Emerald Knight mused.

They heard the sounds of little footsteps at a hurried pace, and maybe some light huffing and puffing before a girl ran in.

Well, running was the idea. Instead, she tripped and promptly fell flat on her face.

The others winced before she quickly got back to her feet, brushing her long blue hair out of the way. Her big blue eyes looked a little nervous as she brushed the dust off her multicolored dress with a little bow in the center, "I'm so sorry I'm late…" She spoke in a high-pitched but friendly voice, "I'm here from Cait Shelter, and my name is Wendy. It's so nice to meet you all!" She did her best to smile warmly, her hands nervously clasped behind her back.

"A child?!" The Emerald Knight went pale as Lyon and Jura's jaws dropped.

"A kid?" Gray wilted.

Natsu was the only one who looked mildly surprised, "Wendy?" He asked slowly.

* * *

 **A/N:** A future member of Fairy Tail on the way! Yeah, I added Slade from my Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines story. More background information will come with him as the story develops (same as Elspeth, I haven't forgotten about her!) Well, what'd you think? Let us know with a review! Oración Seis, here I come!


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N:** Here's chapter fifty-three! I had a blast being these guys at last…feel free to let me know what you thought of them! I do my best to keep everyone in character…

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

"Well, now that all the guilds are accounted for..." Jura smiled.

"He's not even fazed by this?!" Gray asked.

"We have a dire mission that could determine the fate of the guilds and Cait Shelter sends us a little girl?" Sherry asked quietly, mostly to the Emerald Knight.

"She isn't alone, you gaudy trollop." A prim and firm feminine voice was heard before they saw someone even shorter than Wendy enter.

Similar to Happy, it was a cat, though her fur was white, and she wore a lacy blouse with a dark pleated skirt. There was a little bow on her top, and at the tip of her tail as well. The look on her face seemed very displeased, almost disgusted with the people before her.

"Carla!" Wendy exclaimed, "You followed me here?"

"Of course I did." Carla insisted, "I couldn't risk having you here alone surrounded by these…barbarians."

"A cat?" The Tri-Men asked.

Happy's face lit up with an immediate infatuation. He nervously stared at Carla, shuddering occasionally, as he hid behind the Emerald Knight's legs.

"What…what are you doing?" The Emerald Knight asked, "Why are you hiding behind me?"

"No…no reason…" Happy said, "Hey…Ant…could you tell that other cat that I said hi…?"

"Oh?" A dark grin spread across the Emerald Knight's face, "What's the matter there, Happy?"

"N-Nothing!" He cowered.

"Oh, I think I know what the problem is…" His grin grew, "You _love_ her!"

"Ah!" Happy screamed, falling back, "He…he stole my catchphrase…"

Carla looked away in disgust, again. Wendy started nervously twiddling her thumbs, "I know I'm not very good when it comes to fighting and combat…but I know a lot of support magic that can be helpful." She looked up and honestly looked as if she were about to cry, "So please don't leave me behind!"

"It's the weakness in your spirit that allows others to dismiss you." Carla snapped, making Wendy wilt.

"Don't be mistaken." Erza said with a smile, "We were simply surprised, that's all, but we welcome you into the group with open arms."

"Wow…" Wendy wiped her tears away, "She really is amazing…"

"Certainly the most promising here out of the selection…" Carla muttered.

"What about me?" Happy asked, "They call me the Cat-amander!"

"Hmph." Carla turned away again.

"She's so cute! Acting all shy!"

"She might be a bit too refined for your tastes, Happy…" The Emerald Knight said.

"That girl's going to grow up into one fine woman…" Ren smiled.

"She's cute right now…" Eve said.

"Why don't you follow me this way? I bet you must be exhausted." Hibiki said.

Wendy looked terrified, "Huh…uh…?"

"Hey!" Slade snapped as the Tri-Men guided her to the couch, "Come on, at least Erza was _of age_ , this is even creepier!"

"Has anyone else noticed?" Jura asked, "She has a latent power sleeping within her."

"Hmm?" Slade looked back, "What do you mean?"

"It's different from the rest of us. It seems Lady Erza has noticed as well, being the caliber of wizard that she is."

"May I interest you in some orange juice?" Eve asked.

"A steaming cloth?" Hibiki asked.

"Um…I-uh…" Wendy started shaking.

"What is it with these men!" Carla hopped up on one of the tables and tried to shoo them away.

"Enough!" Slade swatted them away, "Go put the same crap you used for Erza away, right now." He said, "Jeez…I need shock collars on these guys or something…"

"Wendy…" Natsu said, still thinking about it.

"What is it, Natsu? Why are you staring out into space?" Gray asked.

"I just have a feeling that I remember that name somewhere." He said, looking at Gray, "Remember it for me, will ya?"

"That's not possible!" Gray said.

Natsu looked back at Wendy, who merely gave him a sweet smile in return.

"Well, now that all the bullshit is over, I should probably brief you all in on the mission." Slade said, "Let me get the equipment ready." He walked off into another room, returning shortly, "Hibiki, you got the Archive ready?"

Hibiki nodded, starting to cast a giant yellow magic computer system. As everything started booting up, Slade began to pace back and forth, "North of us is the Worthwood Sea…" He started, "An ancient civilization sealed away an amazingly strong magic. Its name is…Nirvana…"

"Nirvana?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"I've never heard of that magic." Lyon said.

"Have you heard anything?" Sherry looked up at Jura.

Jura shook his head, "No knowledge whatsoever."

"Hey…this mission sounds boring…do you want one of my fish…?" Happy leaned over to Carla, holding a fish out.

"Not interested…" Carla didn't even bother to look in his direction.

"Since the ancients sealed it away, we can imply that it's a pretty powerful magic." Ren said.

"No one knows what exactly the magic is…" Eve said, "But…"

"We know that the Oración Seis are here to take the magic for themselves…" Hibiki said.

"So we have to take out the Oración Seis _before_ they get Nirvana." Slade said, "It's twelve against six, but, that basically means nothing, because they're all insanely powerful. We'll be lucky to get by with twelve against six…"

"I've got them all up here on Archive." Hibiki said, pointing to the six pictures on the screen, "The wizard who controls poisonous snakes, Cobra."

"Ew…what a creep…" Natsu said.

"The man who's believed to be the fastest person alive, Racer."

"He looks way too cocky for his own good, if you ask me…" Gray said.

"The heaven's gaze, Hoteye!"

"Hmm, seems to be a strange opponent, even for a Dark Guild…" Jura said.

"The girl who can see into people's hearts, Angel."

The Emerald Knight raised a brow, "What an insolent brat."

"We have next to no data on this man, other than his name, Midnight."

"I'm sure we shouldn't doubt him, despite his appearance." Erza said.

"And the commander of them all, Brain."

"Each of them have enough magic power to crush entire guilds." Slade said, "We have to use our numbers for our advantage, it's all we got."

"Are these six really that powerful?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"I don't think I'm good enough for this…" Wendy squeaked.

"I will not permit such low self-esteem!" Carla insisted.

"We'll be fine." Slade said, "Hopefully we can find a location of their base and just end this…"

"They have a base?" Lyon asked.

"We don't have much information on that." Ren said, "But we can assume they're out there in the Worthwood Sea right now…"

"Our best plan of action is to get them all gathered in one place." Slade said.

"How would we do that?" Gray asked.

"By brawling them, that's how!" Natsu grinned.

"We need to fence them in?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"What will we do after we gather them?" Erza asked.

"We're going to bomb them." Slade said plainly, "With our strongest battleship we have on hand, Christina."

"My word…" Lyon said.

"Isn't that…a tad too dangerous?" Sherry asked.

"We're going to use a bomber for six people?" The Emerald Knight said, "I admit, I have no knowledge of how these crafts work, but it does sound excessive…"

"That's just the type of precaution we need to take in this matter." Jura said, "And in terms of combat, I believe that it would best if we took two of our wizards to their one." He said, "Single one-on-one combat is too dangerous, we need every sort of advantage we can get."

"Alright! I'm all fired up!" Natsu slammed a fist into his open hand. "I'm gonna take on all six at once!" He ran out of the building.

"Natsu!" Gray snapped.

"We have no choice." Erza said, "Let's go."

"Damn it…that idiot…" Gray shook his head.

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, following the remainder of Fairy Tail's forces out of the building. Lyon crossed his arms, "I'd rather not be beaten to the glory by Fairy Tail." He smiled at Sherry, "Ready Sherry?"

"Yes, of course, Lyon!" Sherry beamed.

"Lyon, Sherry, wait!" Jura held a hand out, but his guild mates left anyway.

"We're going too!" Ren ran out.

"Right!" Eve followed him.

"Yeah, we should definitely see if we can take care of that Angel chick!" Hibiki ran out.

"Damn it guys, what did I tell you about flirting with the enemy?" Slade snapped.

"Wendy, we'd better catch up!" Carla grabbed Wendy's hand and tugged her along despite mild protest.

"Not to worry, I'll protect you both!" Happy said, then he blinked as he realized that Wendy and Carla were already halfway out the door, "Hey, wait for me!"

"So hasty…" Jura frowned, "It's reckless to go in such a rush…"

"At least your guys are out there fighting…" Slade said, "God knows what my guild mates are doing right now…"

"Well, in any case, the mission has started…so, the two of us may as well bring up the rear…"

"Hold on…uh…sir, I just had a question real quick…if you don't mind…" Slade said, "I mean, since you're a Wizard Saint and all, are you as strong as Master Makarov of Fairy Tail?"

"Not at all." Jura chuckled modestly, "The title of Wizard Saint is bestowed upon by the Magic Council. I may have the title right now, but I am in the number ten spot itself. So comparing me to Master Makarov would be like comparing Heaven to Earth."

"Is that right?" A sinister grin spread on Slade's face, "Excellent…" He drew his swords, "If you were as strong as Makarov, I'd have no idea what the hell to do…" He dashed forward, holding his swords out like an X, "Venom Web!" He cut through Jura. Jura coughed up blood and fell back.

"Sir Slade…" He held his bloodied chest, "What…what are you doing?" There was a fair amount of purple goop on his wounds too, so it was fair to assume that he was poisoned.

Slade snickered, slashing through him a few more times while he was dazed.

"Sir Slade…" Jura coughed, "Please…what are you—"

"You idiot." Slade laughed, "Haven't you realized I'm not the real Slade anymore!"

"What…what could you possibly mean…?"

Slade disappeared in a puff of smoke, instead, two little spirits floated in his spot, both of them blue in color, with different colored pants, "Phew!" One of them sighed in a tiny voice.

"It's good to be back!" The other said.

"That Slade guy sure is angry…"

"Yeah, that was no fun at all!"

"Yes, yes, enough complaining." A regal and ethereal sounding feminine voice was heard.

The spirits turned to their master as she sauntered over, "Peedi-Peedi!"

Jura could barely speak, due to both the shock of the current situation and the poison wreaking havoc in his body at the moment, "You…you are…"

"You're worried about the boy, aren't you? Slade, his name was?" She asked as she held her hands in the air and smiled, "I merely copied him. That's how I figured out about your little _plan_. If that's what tactless assaults are called nowadays…"

"When we copy somebody…" One of the spirits started.

"We also learn what they think!" The other finished.

"What…that's impossible…!" Jura coughed.

She smiled and laughed at herself, really, "Yes, that's right! We were able to take out two of your little teammate's right off the bat." She hummed with contentment, "How precious, one of them was _supposed_ to be part of the wizard saints." She walked closer to press the sole of her boot up against his face, "Maybe they can think about giving that title to _me_ …"

Jura gave a few more pitiful coughs, the poison was getting even worse now, "No…" He collapsed on the ground, "I…I have failed…already…"

"Yes, that's right. You have." She stepped back and crossed her arms, glaring over him with quite the frightening look on her face, "Let this be a lesson to you and your children of light." She sneered, "There is no stopping the Oración Seis."

* * *

"Hey, I can see it from here!" Natsu cheered, "The forest!" He said, ahead of everyone.

"Wait up, Natsu!" Gray called.

"Nah!"

"Don't go running off ahead on your own!" Erza insisted.

The Emerald Knight panted, trying desperately to keep up with them, but of course, his had a full suit of armor to lug around with every step he took.

"Perhaps we could carry Erza to safety!" Hibiki said.

"Or hold her hand as we run with her!" Eve said.

"Not that she needs it or anything, but, I'll help out…" Ren said.

The Emerald Knight shivered, "I think staying away from Erza may be the better option here…"

"Wendy, you better not be dawdling back there!" Carla called as the pair kept running, Carla in the lead, of course.

"I'm…" She huffed and puffed, "Not!"

"Don't forget about me!" Happy said, "Your valiant savoir!"

A big shadow began to loom over the lot of them, "What is that?" Lyon asked.

Natsu stopped walking to see what it was, of course, Gray crashed right into him, "Hey, don't just randomly stop like that, you idiot!"

A large flying cruiser could be seen in the air, pristine and royal, the front of it was shaped like a horse's head, and the wings were decorated white and feathery.

"It's Christina, the magic bomber!" Hibiki cheered.

"It's surely going to put an end to all of this!" Eve said.

Which of course would be the case if a giant black laser beam didn't blast through the bottom of the hull and completely destroy it.

"What in blazes?" The Emerald Knight looked shocked.

"No way…" Happy's jaw dropped.

"Christina…no…she's taken too much damage!" Hibiki said, "She's crashing!"

As the wreckage crashed between a canyon, Lyon gulped, "How was it taken out so easily…?"

"Look out!" Gray pointed, "From the smoke, someone's coming!"

Wendy squealed and hid behind a rock as Carla called out for her in fear.

As the smoke cleared, it was the Dark Guild in question, all six member lined up, in all their glory. They were quite an intimidating sight to behold, even outnumbered. "The Oración Seis!" Everyone from the light guilds reacted.

"Lowly maggots…" Brain growled, "Such an eyesore…"

Angel smiled, "Well, at least we've foiled their little plans. I've already taken care of your little-boy-blue and your wizard saint. I do hope that was just a taste of what kind of fun we'll be having or we'll all be quite bored."

"What?" Lyon's eyes widened.

"That's impossible!" Ren said.

"I can hear it…" Cobra said, "The fear in their voices…their trembling…their plans to retreat…I hear it all!"

"I'm gonna defeat you all so fast that it's gonna be a new world record." Racer said.

"Money is all you need in life." Hoteye said, "Money makes the world go 'round. Money makes—"

"Enough with the preaching, Hoteye…" Cobra and Racer said.

The Emerald Knight examined the sleeping opponent, Midnight, very carefully. Underestimating any of their foes was surely foolish, but, why was he asleep?

"I never thought we'd meet like this." Erza said deeply, one of the only people there who seemed ready to fight than flee.

"You saved us the trouble of hunting you down!" Natsu grinned, as he and Gray darted forth to fight them.

Brain closed his eyes, "Wipe them out…" He spat, and Racer sped out to oppose them, as if Brain figured he would only need _one_ of his subordinates to wipe out the ten opponents.

Racer couldn't even be seen as he dashed around, and in seconds, Natsu and Gray were covered in tiny marks and bruises.

"I need to help them…" The Emerald Knight said, Natsu and Gray were losing their footing as Racer kept demolishing them. He ran forth, each footstep clanking as he slowly stepped onto the battlefield.

A pair of blue spirits floated in front of the Emerald Knight, transforming into him. The doppelganger gave a frightening evil laugh, which sounded horrifying considering how deep the Emerald Knight's voice could go. The fake shot out a barrage of green lightning at the real Emerald Knight.

"What in damnation?" He held his shield up to defend himself, "Who the devil are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The doppelganger knight kept firing away.

He growled, "You may have my abilities and my mannerisms, but you are not me!"

Lyon and Sherry went in for assistance next, but it seemed Hoteye was one step ahead of them, holding two fingers to his glowing brown eyes, "All you need is money! Money is all you need! A penny saved today can be but a fortune tomorrow! Oh yeah!" The ground around Lyon and Sherry turned to a mucky mush and they both fell in, like quick sand.

"Ugh…" Lyon winced, "What is this stuff?"

After Racer bludgeoned Natsu and Gray quite a bit, he moved onto the Tri-Men. No one was able to catch up to him. And it seemed the Tri-Men had a bit less endurance than the dragon slayer and the ice wizard, as they were down for the count after a few minutes of Racer's beatings.

"Heaven's Wheel!" Erza requipped and stood against Cobra, one of the only fighters left who wasn't occupied. She sent all her blades down upon him, but he kept dodging each and every one. It began to infuriate her, so she just kept sending out more and more blades, growling at his smug grin.

"Damn it…" Natsu coughed, Racer leaving quite the amount of injuries on his body, "Hey!" He shouted at Midnight, "You jerk! You seriously can't be sleeping through all of this!" When Midnight snored back, he growled, preparing a Fire Dragon's Roar, "Wakey-Wakey!" He spat flames out, but they arched away from Midnight, curving around him. "What…what the hell? He did that happen?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" Natsu heard Racer's voice from behind him, and Racer resumed his beating on him, "If Midnight wakes up, it's gonna be your nightmare!"

"Ice-Make…" Gray started, but the creature who copied the Emerald Knight split apart into its neutral form, turning into Gray shortly and attacking him from behind.

"No, Gray!" The Emerald Knight ran in to assist Gray, but the blue spirits would intermittently transform into the Emerald Knight and Gray, fighting both the real versions off despite being outnumbered. Wendy cowered as tears gelled in her eyes and she did all she could to stay hidden behind the rock.

Meanwhile, seeing that her blades were unsuccessful in catching Cobra through the use of her magic, Erza grabbed one and began trying to slash him by hand, simply infuriated when he dodged every attack.

"So…this is the great Erza Scarlet?" Brain smiled, interested, seeing at how she was one of the few fighters not pathetically laying on the ground at this point.

Cobra simply continued to step back and dodge her attacks, "I heard that."

"Hear what?" She asked, pausing to catch her breath and glance at his pointed ears, "My attacks? Can you _hear_ them?"

"More than that…" He smiled, "The position you're about to take, the sound of your breathing…every thought in your head…" He said, then his arrogant grin faded, his purple eyes widened with shock, "Wait…you were _there_ …?"

"How are your powers so extensive…?" She demanded, "I was told you had control over poisonous serpents."

"You…you couldn't possibly have been there…I…I don't remember you…"

"Cobra!" Racer snapped, "If you're not gonna beat Titania, let me!"

Cobra shook himself off, "Cubellios!" Cobra's snake sprung off his body, it surprised Erza with its speed. She didn't think Cobra was going to call it into battle so quickly. Cubellios gave a frightening hiss as it reared back to bite Erza's arm.

Erza gasped, then let out an earsplitting screech as the fangs sunk in. She fell to the ground and shuddered, clutching her arm close to her chest.

"That poison works pretty quickly." Cobra said, as Cubellios regrouped near him, "You'll be out in about twenty minutes, if I had to say…"

"Damn it…" Natsu said, as all the light guild members were laying on the ground, while every fighter in the Oración Seis looked fine.

"They're intense…" Gray said.

Erza whimpered and tried to get back to her feet, failing miserably.

"I…will…have my revenge…" Lyon also tried to get up.

"Trash…all of you." Brain said, holding his staff up high, as a dark energy surrounded it, "I will kill you all where you are now!" Rumbling was heard as the dark energy grew with more and more power.

Sherry moaned softly where she lay, "Wh-What is that magic power…?"

"The…the entire _atmosphere_ is reacting to it…" Hibiki said.

"This is bad!" Ren said.

"Dark Rondo!" Brain said, though his voice could hardly be heard over the thundering darkness, he held the quivering staff up higher, struggling to hold the weight of all the dark energy with one hand. He spotted something out in the distance however, and his expression changed to one of astonishment, as he lowered his staff and cancelled the spell.

Angel looked over in shock, "Why'd you stop your attack?"

"Yeah, you gonna cast that thing or what?" Cobra raised a brow.

Brain blinked slowly a few times, "Wendy…?"

"…huh…?" Wendy shook behind her rock, looking absolutely petrified.

* * *

 **A/N:** Aw, poor Wendy, it's so fun going back to when she was too afraid to fight at all and think about how powerful she becomes! Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought with a review!


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N:** Here's chapter fifty-four! Guess who's back? Jellal! Not to be confused with Seighart – AKA: Long-haired Jellal, from Rave Master…I'm sorry, just something about that hair irks me…Enjoy the chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own my OCs.

* * *

"What the heck is wrong with Brain?" Racer asked.

"How the hell should I know…?" Cobra said.

"I'm sure of it." Brain said, as his confident smile returned, "The Maiden of the Sky!"

"A Maiden…?" Gray asked.

"Of the Sky?" Hibiki asked.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Wendy ducked low and covered her hands over her head.

"It means I've found something that will help us achieve our goal even faster!" Brain said, "Come with us!" He held his staff out, and a black smog came from it, wrapping around Wendy like a vine and pulling her away. Wendy squealed as she reached her hands out to grab her companion's paw.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Natsu snarled, trying for the umpteenth time to get up.

"All's fair in money and war!" Hoteye stopped anyone from advancing by turning the ground around them all into mush.

"Carla!" Wendy cried out, reaching her hand out one last time in hopes that her friend would latch on, when all of a sudden, she found a paw and pulled it away with her.

Carla was stunned, running and running to try and catch up as she watched Wendy pull the blue cat with her instead, "Wendy!"

"Happy!" Natsu gasped, as Happy and Wendy were pulled away.

"Natsu!" Happy said, though his voice was beginning to get drowned out.

"We have no further use for you wretches!" Brain held his staff out, blasting a horrid dark wave that looked large enough to kill them all at once, "Be gone!"

"Everyone get down!" Ren called.

"Iron Rock Wall!" A voice said from behind them as all the mud from Hoteye's attack solidified and grew stone pillars which expertly blocked the attack.

"Jura!" Sherry started to get back to her feet.

"Damn, that was one hell of save!" Gray smiled.

"That was amazing!" Eve said.

"You saved us. Thank you." Hibiki nodded.

The Emerald Knight got up and dusted himself off, "Well, I'm glad to see that everyone's alright."

"Where are they?" Natsu jerked his head back and forth quickly, trying to find them, "Damn it! They're gone! They ran away!"

"Wendy…" Carla for once sounded defeated and depressed.

"We were pretty badly beaten." Ren said.

"They were too strong…" Eve said.

"Glad to see that you're alright, sir." Lyon nodded to Jura.

"Well, maybe not alright." Jura said, at a closer look, he was covered in bandages, "I was nearly struck down for good…"

"Those…those wounds…" Lyon's eyes widened.

"Luckily, Slade was able to give me some of his antivenin, or else I would have died from the poisoning."

Slade walked in next, looking even more beat up than Jura, "But it's my fault you got poisoned in the first place. That Angel chick knocked me out and then copied my abilities…" He said, eventually hacking up a lung.

"You look terrible." Lyon said, "How could you have let your guard down and endanger Jura so easily?"

"Hey, back off, bastard." Slade narrowed his eyes, "She snuck up on me. I didn't know she'd be in _our_ base."

"I thought you were supposed to be the ace of Blue Pegasus, you were taken out by Angel so easily?"

"You want confirmation that I'm the ace?" Slade grabbed the handle to one of his swords, "Why don't I show you?"

"Enough." The Emerald Knight said, "We need to move forward with what we have, we don't have time to dwell on who lost to whom and who fell in battle."

"Glad to see you're alright, sir." The Tri-Men bowed towards their leader.

"Damn it, they took Wendy and Happy. I'm gonna go find them! Wherever that is!" Natsu began to run off.

There was almost a silent void where Erza would have yelled at him to stop, but Carla quickly filled it and grabbed Natsu by the scarf, flying up into the air with a pair of wings to knock him to his feet.

"Wings?" Gray asked.

"The cat can fly?" Ren asked.

"This is a type of magic known as Aera. Of course, it's only natural you have no clue what it is." Carla said as she continued to fly over Natsu's head.

"Yeah, like what Happy has…" Natsu deadpanned.

"Ugh." She rolled her eyes and looked away, "Well, in any case, while it is upsetting that we lost the tomcat and Wendy, I think it at least helped us realize that we cannot go about this without a plan."

"I agree with Lady Carla." Jura said, "This enemy is surely more powerful than any of us predicted."

"And of course, we have other issues at hand as well…" She looked over towards Erza. She was leaning up against a tree, pressing the poisoned arm up against it, shutting her eyes tight and letting out shaky breaths.

"Erza!" The Emerald Knight gasped, "I had nearly forgotten!"

"What happened to her?" Slade asked.

"She was bitten by Cobra's snake…"

"Erza! Hang in there!" Natsu said.

She peeked an eye open, "Where's Gray…?" She asked weakly.

Gray pointed to himself meekly, "Me?" He asked.

"Come here…"

He took a few steps closer, "What is it?"

She reached out and grabbed his belt, unclasping it and yanking it off of him. "You…weren't going to use this…anyway…" She wrapped it around her arm and pulled it tight so it cut off all the circulation, keeping some of it in her mouth to bite onto, "I can't fight as I am now…" She said, throwing one of her swords on the ground. She then sat beside it and held her arm out, staring blankly into the distance, "Cut it off."

"What kind of stupid idea is that?" Gray snapped, trying to frantically adjust his pants.

"Understood, I'll do it." Lyon picked her sword up.

"Lyon!"

"Do it!" Erza urged loudly.

"Don't!" Gray said.

"We cannot allow this woman to die here and now!" Lyon raised the sword up high.

"No…" The Emerald Knight said, holding a hand out, "There must be another way…"

"Just how dramatic are you fairies!?" Sherry snapped.

The Emerald Knight frowned, "How could you possibly dismiss the severity of severing off someone's arm, its barbaric!"

"Do it now!" Erza demanded, facing away and tightening the belt.

"Don't do it, Lyon!" Gray screamed.

Lyon swung the sword down, but a purple, toxic sword blocked the way.

Lyon glared at Slade, "You fool! Are you saying her arm is more important that her life?"

"How dumb do you think I am, you stupid bastard…you realize this will affect her forever, right? There's an easier way that doesn't involve amputation!"

"How would there be another way, unless you're referring to your antivenin…"

"No…I can only cure my own poisons…to help Erza, I'd need to defeat Cobra and get my hands on his snake to make some sort of antidote."

"Don't be a fool! We don't have time for that!"

"But we can't cut her arm off!" Ren said.

"It's too crazy!" Eve added.

Jura looked like he was split down the middle on the issue, "It…it _is_ lady Erza's wishes…"

"Yeah, but she can probably hardly think straight." Slade said, "She's doing the first solution that pops into her head, trust me, I know what poison does to a person, it spikes their adrenaline and interferes with their way of thinking."

"Get out of the way…" Lyon narrowed his eyes.

"I won't." Slade growled, "This is a stupid idea, no matter how you look at it."

"You haven't really changed at all, have you, Lyon?" Gray frowned.

Erza let out one last gasp of air before she collapsed with a heavy sound due to all her armor. From there, she was still, the only signs of life was her shaky breathing that was sporadic at best.

"No!" The Emerald Knight said.

"Crap!" Slade withdrew his sword, kneeling at Erza's side and trying to position her to sit against a tree, "The poison's travelling faster than I thought…if…if it keeps up…"

"Wendy could save her." Carla said.

There was a still pause as the others looked in Carla's direction.

"This is no time for squabbling with allies. We should combine our strengths and save Wendy. And…I suppose the tomcat as well."

"So she has antivenin magic too?" Eve asked.

"That's amazing!" Ren said.

"It isn't antivenin. She has the ability to break fevers, heal wounds and reduce pain." Carla clarified.

Slade's eyes grew, still staying at Erza's side, "Great." He nodded, "So all we have to do is rescue Wendy, and then we're good."

"Isn't healing magic one of the lost magics?" Sherry asked.

"Is it in any way related to that Maiden of the Sky title that Brain was chanting about earlier?" The Emerald Knight asked, still looking slightly peeved with Sherry.

"She is a sky dragon slayer." Carla said, "Sky Dragon Wendy."

"Dragon slayer?" Natsu asked as everyone else gasped.

"We can worry about the details later, but for now, there isn't much more you need to know. Right now, we need Wendy. They want Wendy too, and I haven't quite figured out why yet…"

Lyon thought about it for a while, "That means…"

"There's only one thing to do." Hibiki said.

"We have to save Wendy." Eve said.

"For Erza's sake." Gray said.

The Emerald Knight nodded, "Let us not forget Happy. We need to rescue him from their clutches as well."

"Right!" Natsu said, as the group formed a circle and held all their fists out.

"Let's go!" They all cheered.

* * *

Not so far away was a tiny battered old village, surrounded by a river and down a cliff. Within an ancient tribal cave was where Brain took his captives, "This was the capital of an ancient village." He started, "These caves were where the villagers worshipped their gods. They say a priestess would enter here to receive the word of god." He said, releasing Wendy and Happy by flinging them against the hard rock wall. "

"Hey, don't be rough on a little girl!" Happy snapped.

Brain fried Happy with a dark spell from his staff, knocking him back considerably, he looked overall unamused, "Will there be any other complaints?" He asked, then waited a beat, "No? Good."

"So what's with the girl anyway?" Racer asked.

"Does she have something to do with Nirvana?" Cobra raised a brow.

"Certainly doesn't look like it…" Angel peered over at Wendy's downed form.

"Is she worth a lot of money?" Hoteye seemed excited.

"She's adept at the healing arts of Sky Magic." Brain said.

"Healing magic?" Racer asked.

"Lost magic?" Angel asked.

"That sounds expensive!" Hoteye said, clenching his fists in excitement.

"I still don't get it…" Cobra said listlessly, then his eyes lit up, "Wait…you don't mean…?"

"Exactly. We'll resurrect _him!_ " Brain held his arms out.

Wendy quickly snapped out of it and squeezed Happy, "I'm not going to do anything to help bad people like you!"

"Yes you will." Brain narrowed his eyes with a smile, "I _guarantee_ it." He said, looking back at his subordinates, "Racer, bring him to me."

"Even at my fastest, it'll take an hour, at least." Racer said.

"That shall do nicely."

"I get it now." Cobra said, "With him back in the picture, we'll pretty much have Nirvana."

"Cobra, Hoteye, Angel." Brain said, "Continue your search for Nirvana."

"But if we resurrect him, won't it be a waste of time?"

"Not if the plan backfires." He said, "That is why Midnight and I will remain here."

"Alright." He shrugged, "I guess we're heading out."

"Why don't we make it a game?" Angel tugged on Cobra's sleeve, "Will that make it more interesting? The first to find it—"

"Gets ten million jewel!" Hoteye cheered.

"… _way_ too much…" Angel rolled her eyes.

"What kind of magic is this…?" Wendy whimpered to herself, "What is Nirvana…?"

* * *

Erza's body lay at the outskirts of the forest, with the Emerald Knight overlooking her, and Hibiki typing away at his Archive supercomputer. "I must admit, I am worried." The former said, walking over to Hibiki's side, "Erza is a strong woman, the strongest I know, but…there's only so much a person can do to fend themselves from poison in their veins…"

"I know…" Hibiki said, "Well, everyone has entered the forest." He looked at the Emerald Knight, "How come you're not going?"

The Emerald Knight walked back over to Erza's downed form, "In case of an ambush. It's best I stay here, with you." He said, "I wouldn't want you to get ganged up while you were out here alone."

"Wow…" He looked surprised, "I…don't know what to say…especially since our guilds didn't exactly get along at first."

"The skirmish between Slade and Gray does not affect my opinion of you." He said, "Yes, we operate differently, but I hold no ill will towards you." He paused, "Besides, Slade has a problem with _both_ ice wizards anyway, perhaps it's more than just a coincidence?"

"Not really." He shook his head, "Slade just…has trouble getting along with people. He has an awful temper."

"Then how is he the ace of your guild?" The Emerald Knight asked, "No less, how is he in charge of other members, like you three?"

"He's very dedicated to the guild." Hibiki said, "When he was little, Master Bob found him on a boat that was about to sink, there wasn't a sign of any other survivors." He shrugged, still absent-mindedly typing away as if the story held no weight, "To this day, no one has any idea what or why Slade was on that ship, Slade himself was too young to remember. But, since Master Bob saved his life, he's been in Blue Pegasus ever since. He follows the rules, he always does us proud, and he doesn't take crap from anybody." He said, then he half-wilted, "He…also barely gets along with anyone in the guild, but, he has a lot of respect for Master Bob, and never questions his orders."

The Emerald Knight's eyes grew wider and wider throughout the story, "I see." He said, "It's fortunate he was saved in such an efficient manner."

He nodded, "He doesn't talk about it much, or doesn't think about it, rather. To him, his life in the guild is all he knows, whatever reason he was on that boat, he doesn't remember."

"Perhaps it left an inadvertent chip on his shoulder." The Emerald Knight stepped back up to the screen where Hibiki was again, "I assume you're not leaving because your magic is more focused around support?"

He shrugged, "That, and it lets us know where everyone else is. I can also communicate with anyone within my range of magic. It'll kinda be for nothing if I'm running around too, I can just guide them here."

The Emerald Knight nodded, hoping that they would return soon. And more importantly that no one would attack them while they were holding their position.

* * *

"So Wendy's a sky dragon slayer?" Natsu asked, as he, Gray, and Carla ran through the woods, "What does she eat?"

"Air." Carla said, walking ahead of the others.

"…does it taste good?"

"Who knows?"

"How is it different from breathing?" Gray wondered.

Carla's eyes briefly flickered up towards Natsu, "I urged her to take this mission thinking she might meet you."

"Me?" Natsu looked confused.

"You're both dragon slayers, yes?" She faced away, "Wendy claimed that the dragon who taught her magic disappeared seven years ago. I thought perhaps you might know what happened to her." She crossed her arms, "I believe Wendy called her the Sky Dragon Grandeeney."

"Wait, seriously?" Natsu asked, "When did it disappear? July seventh?"

"I'm not sure." Carla confessed.

"Igneel…Metalicana…and Grandeeney…all of them disappeared seven years ago…" He thought about it. This was evidently a bad idea as he crashed into a low hanging branch. He screamed and fell back. "Hey, what about Laxus?" He asked as he rocketed up.

"Nah, I heard down the grapevine that Laxus is a bit of a different dragon slayer." Gray said.

Carla suddenly stumbled back and gasped, "What's this!?"

"The trees…" Gray swallowed hard. These trees weren't just dead, it looked like they were haunted.

"They're black." Natsu made a face.

"This is freakin' creepy…"

"They say it's cause of the influence of Nirvana, Big Bro Zatô." A low pitched voice said.

"It's so powerful, that the earth itself is dying, Big Bro Gatô!" Another said.

"What the hell?" Gray looked back as they were faced with a chimp-like duo, and more of their allies jumped from above the trees. Hooting and hollering could be heard as the entire guild assembled in front of them.

"W-Wait a moment!" Carla called out in panic.

"They say it's cause of the influence—"

"You already said that, Big Bro Gatô!"

"Did I, Big bro Zatô?"

"Damn it, we're surrounded!" Gray said.

"Whoa…monkeys! So cool!" Natsu said.

A third man left the crowd to join the two brother, he was bald, and he looked horribly beaten, "Let's do this! It's time to shoot some fairies!" He pulled his magic shotgun out.

"Ooh, another monkey!"

"We're Naked Mummy, working under the Oración Seis!" Gatô said.

"Let's play for a while!" Zatô laughed.

"The enemy is a bit…larger than expected…" Carla looked around nervously, "We've fallen into their trap…"

"Alright, you wanna play, let's play!" Gray smiled.

"Let's take out the monkeys!" Natsu cheered.

"What are you talking about?" Carla demanded answers.

"We're gonna make you spill where the secret base is!" Gray said.

"We're coming for ya, Happy and Wendy!" Natsu smirked.

"Those stupid brats are taunting us!" Zatô said.

"We're Naked Mummy, working under the—"

"You said that already!" Natsu snapped.

 _What's with these Fairy Tail wizards…?_ Carla felt as if she were about to cry, _Can't they see how much danger they're in?_

* * *

"Black Unicorn?" Eve looked uneasy, after all, it was only two of them, cornered by who knows how many dark mages.

"What the hell are they doing our here?" Ren asked. He prepared his Air Magic while Eve prepared his Snow Magic, for a long battle to ensue.

* * *

"What's this?" Jura asked, as his Lamia Scale team was surrounded by wizards in red robes.

"We're surrounded." Lyon said.

"They had troops just waiting to ambush us?" Sherry gasped and looked around, as the three of them each prepared their respective magic to fight the guild on.

* * *

He needed to save Wendy, because if he didn't, Erza would die. And he couldn't let that happen. He thought he had Ren and Eve flanking him, but it seemed he got separated from them. Maybe they spotted a tree that vaguely resembled an hour-glass figure and their brains turned off. Knowing them, it wouldn't surprise Slade much at all.

As a whole, he wasn't too enthusiastic about this team. Gray annoyed him, and he absolutely _loathed_ Lyon. Were all ice wizards so cocky and condescending?

He shook it off, it could have been worse. Everyone else seemed nice, he recalled. And there was Erza. Even at the mere thought of her his cheeks went pink.

 _This isn't good Slade, focus on the mission!_ He thought, peering around, he soon found himself surrounded by a sizable group. Almost as if an entire guild was attacking him at once.

"You want some of this?" Slade growled, drawing both his swords, "Hit me with your best shot, that is, if you're not dead first!"

* * *

"Damn…this thing's heavy…" Racer said, dragging a coffin shaped like an elegant cross in, "I couldn't pick up any speed while carrying it!"

"I assure you, no one is quicker than you, Racer." Brain smiled at the jeweled casket.

Wendy skittered back in fear, wondering what on earth they were doing with a coffin.

"A c-c-coffin?" Happy shivered.

"Wendy." Brain turned around and smiled at Wendy, "You _will_ heal this man."

"I will never!" She screamed, shutting her eyes tight.

"I disagree." He chuckled, "You will cure him. You _must_." He opened the casket, revealing Jellal within the box, half naked, with his veins shrouded in a blue light. He looked barely alive. As Happy and Wendy's jaws dropped further and further, he began to introduce the man, even though the look in his eyes suggested that both Happy and Wendy have already met him, "This man's name is Jellal. He is a highly skilled wizard who infiltrated the Magic Council. In other words, he will know where Nirvana is!"

"Jellal? What is he…how is he…what?" Happy looked beyond confused.

"Jellal…" Wendy said slowly, in a tone that gave away that she really did know this man.

"Wait, how do _you_ know him?" Happy asked.

"He was bathed in Ethernano for months." Brain said, "You're the only one who can save him." He said, as a sinister grin crossed his face, "You owe him your _life_ , right?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, what'd you think of the beginning of the Oración Seis madness? Let me know with a review! Looking forward to these future chapters. :)

And yes, I did try to get into Rave Master after I read and watched Fairy Tail, but I could never really get into it, even though there are a numerous amount of similarities between the two series. Oh well, I guess I don't really need another series to obsess and make a fanfic over. I'll try to keep updating this story and others as much as I can, but I have inventory at work, so, that's fun I guess...I'll be back as soon as I can!


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N:** Hello, and here is chapter fifty-five. Finally, after all that waiting, I have returned from the dead to work on this fic a little. I hope you all enjoy the continuation of the Oración Seis arc.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

Natsu and Gray quickly got to work on fighting with the entire Naked Mummy guild at once. Natsu's fire severely knocked them back, while Gray's ice slowed any incoming foes. Given that the reinforcements were basically ten to one it made the sudden upset all the more unpredictable.

The bald member who was roughed up by the Emerald Knight aimed his gun at Natsu, "Eat hot lead from my magic shotgun, you punk!"

Natsu grinned as the gun fired. Since his body was so hot, the shots had little effect. The Naked Mummy member screamed, running away from Natsu in fear. This didn't save him, however, as Natsu punched him in the face with a flaming fist, knocking him out of commission.

In an overwhelmingly short amount of time, all that was left were the two chimp-like men. "They ain't such bad fighters, Big Bro Gatô." One of them said.

"Let's get into it, Big Bro Zatô." The other said.

"How did these two manage to take down so many people without a single scratch…?" Carla was absolutely shocked, unaware such raw power could exist within these two young mages.

* * *

The cold dark room didn't seem any warmer with Jellal's presence, that is, if he was even alive. The blue glowing marks all over his body certainly looked concerning, and he was at the very least unconscious.

"I…I can't believe it…" Happy swallowed hard, "It's Jellal…"

"You know him?" Wendy asked, fear still etched across her features.

"Know him? He was the guy who tried to kill Erza! He used the Magic Council to fire Etherion at us!" Wendy trembled, looking up at Jellal with hesitation. She was in complete denial. "How is he even still alive?" Happy fumed.

"He was a foolish dreamer, and nothing more. He let his ideology get the better of him, and now he's seemingly paid the ultimate price for it." Brain said, a sick grin forming on his face as he focused on Wendy, "But to _you_ …he's something quite different altogether."

"No, Wendy…you can't…you can't bring him back! We'll all be in trouble if you do!" Happy begged. When Wendy didn't respond, his face looked even more desperate, "Wendy, please!"

Brain pulled a dagger out from his coat, aiming it dangerously close to Jellal's neck.

"No, you can't!" Wendy screeched, balling her tiny hands into fists. It was the only thing she could do.

"Revive him!" Brain said, "It should be simple for the likes of you!"

"You can't!" Happy said, "He'll just get Nirvana for the Oración Seis…if not that, then he'll get it for himself!"

"B-But…" Wendy trembled, "He saved my life…" She fell to her knees and shook, absolutely miserable, "He's my hero…" She stared at the floor, her glassy eyes hardening after a handful of seconds, "He…he just couldn't have done all that…"

"What do you mean? We were all there."

"Well, he must have done it for a reason! Maybe he was put up to it! He would never do anything like that!" She screamed, tears trickling to the ground, "Please, give me time to think about it…" She whimpered to Brain.

"Wendy, no!" Happy protested.

Brain's face remained stoic and stiff, to the point where it was hard to tell what the man was thinking, "Five minutes." He said, after a long pause.

Happy shivered, "Natsu…" He said quietly, "You need to come quickly…things are getting bad."

* * *

Aside from loads of panting, and minimal sweat, Natsu and Gray were completely unscathed from their little stint.

"Jeez…stupid monkeys…their big bro act was…annoying as hell…" Natsu said.

"Put up…" Gray panted, "More of a fight than I thought…"

"You fought an entire guild, I'm not exactly sure _what_ you were thinking!" Carla insisted, still in a hiding position.

"Hey, monkey-man! Tell me where your base is!" Natsu shook one of the brothers.

"Heh…heh, heh, heh…" He chuckled, "I ain't telling you nothing!"

Natsu snarled, rearing his head back and bashing it into him, the brother lost consciousness.

"I…I guess we'll leave it up to you…" The other brother said.

"Leave it up to who?" Gray wondered.

"Well, well, well, it seems there are some flies buzzing around." A familiar voice said, as a figure descended in from the sky, "I'll have to swat them down. You mangy insects."

"No way…" Gray looked surprised, " _Erigor?_ " Sure enough, it was Erigor alright, in a dark coat rather than his typical reaper garb, but it was same man who was behind the Lullaby incident.

"S'up, cool breeze." Natsu smiled.

"Dude…seriously…?"

"What? We're enemies, you fool!" Erigor snapped.

"What the heck are you doing here?" Gray asked.

Erigor chuckled, having finally reached the ground, "After the destruction of Eisenwald, I've been honing my skills to attain my revenge. I may be working as an enforcer for the Oración Seis, but that's merely a formality. Any excuse I can get to crush you pesky flies I'll gladly take!"

"So basically he's blocking our path…"

"Bastard…" Natsu clenched his fists, "I'll have to kick his butt again…"

"What? You must not have a brain, you just destroyed an entire guild! How do you even have the energy to come up with such an idea!?" Carla was dumfounded.

Erigor began to levitate in the air, "You'll find I'm quite stronger than I was before, ever since you defeated me…I've been honing my skills, nonstop!" He aimed his hands out, "Emera Baram!" He fired off massive windstorm, heading straight for the trio.

Gray dove in and scooped Carla up, protecting both of them from the attack, while Natsu took the brunt of it. He was left mildly bloodied, on account of the wind shredding up his skin.

What the wind mage didn't expect was for Natsu to sprint forward, leap up in the air, and aim a flaming fist back, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" He punched Erigor in the face.

Still coated in shock, he was hit by Natsu's next attack, "Fire Dragon's Talons!"

Erigor was nearly felled, covered in a bit of bruises and burn marks himself. _This can't be. This kid's on a completely different level than when I faced him on the tracks._

As if Natsu was reading his mind, he smirked, "You think you're the only one who got stronger there, pal?" He asked as he landed.

Erigor growled, "It's more than just mere strength, I spent all of my energy trying to learn ways to finally defeat you once and for all! Soon everything will be righted once more!"

"Jeez…I didn't know I meant that much to you…" Natsu said, immediately causing the former Eisenwald head to scowl, "If you were just brooding about me, then you haven't changed at all."

"I'll show you, punk! Storm Shred!" Erigor blasted more wind out of his hands, this time they resembled razor-thin blades of air.

Natsu avoided this attack, rearing a fist back as it combusted, "I don't got time for this! You're in my way of saving Happy and Wendy!" He leapt in the air, "Flame Lotus…Fire Dragon's Fist!" He decked Erigor in the face once again. Erigor coughed up blood, falling back towards the ground, crashing through a tree or two.

Once Gray saw that it was safe, he put Carla back down, "Jeez…that all you got, flame brain?"

Carla still looked like she needed to be held. "You…you defeated him…"

"Yup." Gray crossed his arms, "Usually fire versus wind is a crappy matchup…but…Natsu overcame it last time, so…makes sense that it wasn't a problem this time. Jeez…guess I have to be _proud_ of him for a little while now…"

"Where the hell is your base?" Natsu said, shaking Erigor like he was a rag-doll, with the latter fearfully proclaiming that he had no idea where the Oración Seis were hiding.

* * *

"Where's your stronghold?" Lyon said, questioning possibly the fifteenth nobody he defeated, "What's that? An abandoned village? Some village of the ancients?"

"Appears they've accidentally revealed the location of their base…" Sherry smiled, despite the rather grim surroundings.

Jura took one more look around, crossing his arms, "I want you two to go west."

Lyon nodded, "And where will you be going?"

"There's a huge amount of energy headed this way. I will await it here."

"…the Oración Seis?"

"Good luck, get a move on."

* * *

Sometimes he disliked the idea of working together with his guild mates, but deep down, he admired their comradery and teamwork together.

Heck, if the Tri-men were still with him, he wouldn't be in the position he was right now.

"Hey, get me the hell out of here, damn it!" Slade snapped, tied to a tree. The dark guild who caught him snickered, evidently pleased with the show.

"Lady Angel is going to be _so_ pleased that we caught him." One of the wizards said.

"What did she need him for again?" Another wizard asked.

"She wanted to get more information out of him…said that last time she missed some stuff…" A third wizard said.

"Oh, so you guys are Angel's little runts, huh?" Slade growled with a smirk, "I can't wait to poison you to near death on her behalf."

One of the dark mages growled and grabbed him by the shoulder, "Listen, punk…you're in no position to be making threats, got it? You're going to pay for taking out as many of us as you did."

"If they were all cannon fodder garbage working for Angel, then they deserved their fate."

The mage seethed, "Shut up!" He punched Slade in the face. Judging by the amount of bruises all over his body, it wasn't the first time he was hit that evening for his insolence.

Slade frowned, just as angry as those keeping him captured. He was supposed to be Blue Pegasus's ace in the hole, and here he was, tied to a tree, useless. What help was he going to be to the others like this? They could all be in danger right now. He needed to defeat Cobra and get his hands on his snake in order to save Erza. _Damn it, Slade…if Erza dies, it's all your fault!_

* * *

The search trio came across a large rocky cliff overlooking an old, seemingly abandoned village, with a small pond, a river, and a cave. "Is she here?" Gray asked.

"Hey! Wendy!" Natsu screamed, "Happy!"

"Stop all this racket! You must realize the enemy has ears as well!" Carla waved her paws.

Sure enough, Natsu's voice echoed inside the cave walls of the Oración Seis's temporary base. Happy's countenance immediately improved, "Natsu!"

Although it seemed like they forgot that Brain had a guard dog on hand. "Racer, eliminate them at once."

"Right." Racer nodded, dashing out of the room. He sped up the cliff at lightning speed, dashing through Natsu, Gray, and Carla in a flash.

Natsu growled, as they slowly got up, "It's _him_ again…"

"Leave him to me." Gray got into a fighting stance, "You guys hurry and get down there!"

"Got it!" Natsu nodded.

"You really think I'm gonna let you do that?" Racer snapped as he headed in for a second attack.

"Ice-Make Floor!" Gray froze the ground immediately in front of him. Racer yelled out as he was tripped.

Natsu decided it would be best to get going while the going was good, "Alright…" He picked up Carla's downed body, "Carla! Wings! Now!" He shook her, but she was still too dazed from Racer's attack to respond.

Gray looked back, slamming his fist into an open hand once more, "Here, slide down this!" He crafted an icy slide that led all the way down to the cave.

"Alright, let's go!" Natsu jumped down the slide with Carla, the latter screaming as she went down.

"Damn you…" Racer said as he got up, "Nobody's ever put the brakes to me before…"

Gray smirked at him, "Trust me pal, that won't be the last time I'll put a stop to you."

Natsu nearly fell over once he landed at the bottom of the slide, "Urp…"

"Wendy!" Carla cried out, her nerves really starting to get to her.

"Happy!" Natsu shook himself off, the duo following the cries of Wendy and Happy.

Natsu's jaw dropped once he entered the cave, "What…what is this…?" Natsu fumed, "What happened?"

Wendy trembled, guilt was written all over her face, "I'm…so sorry…so, so sorry…"

"Natsu…" Happy sniffed, shuddering on the ground.

The start of the mission had a simple preface. There would be a guild of six dark wizards, who may or may not would be getting assistance from sub-guilds. They were to be faced off against the allied forces. Fairy, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Cait Shelter. But now, faced with the same jaded glower that haunted Natsu during the Tower of Heaven. Now that it was back. He didn't know what quite to believe anymore. Jellal could easily tip the balance in the Oración Seis's favor. Or he could abandon both sides and yet still win the prize in the end. Seeing this man of all people up and running again instilled at the very least a sense of dread, if not, outright terror.

"Jellal!" Natsu roared, shaking with rage.

Wendy was outright sobbing, "I'm so sorry…" She wept, "He saved my life…so…" She feebly wiped her tears away from her cheeks.

"Did you use the last of your magic on him!?" Carla asked with dire urgency, "How can you be so careless!?"

Maybe it was the lack of magic, or the pressure from the situation they were in, but Wendy collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Natsu's target was Jellal, anyone else in the room he was clearly ignoring. Even the sinister Brain or the mysteriously sleeping Midnight, "What are you doing here?" He sprinted at Jellal with a flaming fist.

Jellal's gaze hardened, he held a hand out, and in a golden light, blasted Natsu back. Or, more like vaporized him, given the harshness of the explosion and how injured Natsu looked after the attack.

"Natsu…" Happy teared up.

Brain chuckled at the display, "You always were a promising pupil."

Jellal turned to him next, hitting him with the same attack.

Brain coughed up blood, falling to a knee, "What?" Jellal looked around the rest of the cavern, leaving once the surroundings bored him.

Natsu weakly got up, "Jellal!" He screamed, "Where is he?" He looked around.

Carla gave a frustrated sigh, "He left."

"That bastard!" He shouted to the cave ceiling.

"He hardly matters, our first priority should be getting Wendy back!" She insisted. When Natsu still seemed adamant about his return, she added, "You do want Erza to live, don't you?"

"I know!" He whined, a few veins coming to his forehead as he began to realize how much trouble they were all in, "I'll have to take care of Jellal later…Happy, we're leaving!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy nodded. Happy flew Natsu out of the cave, while Carla flew Wendy out. This left Brain to finally recover from the blast Jellal had given him.

He rubbed the back of his head, "Peculiar…I didn't quite expect a result like that. Perhaps I released him from his restraints too early…" He mused, "Still…he shouldn't have felt such hostility towards me…should I have interrogated him? Ask him about Nirvana?" He asked, then his eyes shrunk to the size of dots, "Jellal! You can't be trying to get Nirvana for yourself, can you?" Veins sharpened and crawled all over his forehead, "I won't allow it! It belongs to us! I won't let anyone else have it!"

Brain faced the sky and yelled, "Cobra! Can you hear me? Jellal has run astray from our plans! Go after him! Wherever he goes will lead us directly to Nirvana!"

Luckily, given his supersonic hearing, Cobra was able to receive Brain's command, "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya loud and clear. Hunt Jellal."

* * *

Gray fell back, Racer may not have been the toughest opponent he ever fought in terms of raw strength, but with speed this dazzling, he was going to lose simply because he couldn't land a hit on him.

"Tch…" He slowly got up, watching Racer dart around, "How fast can this guy go?" He muttered, then shouted, "Listen, punk, you aren't gonna win by using all these fancy parlor tricks."

"My name is Racer." Racer stopped and crossed his arms, "I'm faster than anyone. Faster than anything. I'm the fastest man alive. I've been running all my life."

Gray was about to snap something witty back, but something in the sky distracted him. Happy and Carla were flying Natsu and Wendy to safety, "Hey! They got out!"

"What?" Racer's eyes widened, "How the hell did they get past Brain?" He lunged forward, speeding into the air, "Damn it! I can't let them get away!"

"Natsu, look out!" Gray warned.

It was too late, Racer smashed into both cats, and as a result all four of them hit the ground. "No!" Natsu growled, out of the four of them, he was the only one not severely dazed, "Happy, Wendy, Carla!" He ran to scoop all three off them up, booking it.

"You're not going anywhere!" Racer sped at them.

"Ice-Make Rampart!" Gray held both arms out. A huge, impressive wall of ice rose from the ground, and Racer crashed right into it, grunting in pain.

Natsu looked stunned, seeing Gray summon this much ice at once made him speechless, "You good, Gray?"

"Just go!" Gray shouted, beads of sweat all over his forehead. "I told you that I'd take this guy, got it?"

Natsu looked ahead, "I don't know…I can tell you burned through a lot of your magic power…"

"Natsu, just go!" Gray said, "I'm not letting him get past! You need to go save Erza, now!"

Natsu gave a slight nod, "Alright, but after Erza's up and running again…we're coming back for ya!"

"Yeah, yeah, get going." Gray smiled.

Racer got up, putting a hand on the icy wall in front of him, "You've got some nerve. That's the second time you've stopped me…"

"Oh, I'll stop you a lot more than that, pal." Gray said, "See, ice slows _everything_ down. Even the likes of you." His grin grew, "Cause I plan on stopping you dead in your tracks."

* * *

It wasn't anything he would like to wear, but he figured it was better than nothing. Jellal tossed Erigor's half-naked body aside, adjusting the coat he had just stolen. He then started moving ahead, one thing on his mind, "Erza…"

* * *

 **A/N:** I feel like there are two big subjects I should bring up before moving on. The first, is if this is a dead story or not. No is the first word to come to mind, as I have planned _way_ too much of this to just, simply give up on it and I've come too far. Sometimes the story will have resting periods, as it has for like, months, at least. It depends on how much I'm into Fairy Tail at that moment in time. Recently I have been working with pishathenagaraja on Vampire the Masquerade stories. After writing nearly 200+ chapters of that, I kind of felt like I was ignoring my Fairy Tail spectrum for a bit too long. So, here we are.

I hope that any other resting breaks do not take months at a time. I have communicated as much with pishathenagaraja and we have decided to keep it more balanced. So it's not just 'fifty chapters of Fairy Tail here for a month or two' and 'two-hundred chapters of VTMB' for a year.' Ideally I'm going to shoot for alternating between writing a bit of Fairy Tail and writing a bit of Vampire.

tl;dr: While this story may rest for possibly months, it will never simply 'die.'

Another subject I want to bring up, because I fear I'm going to be questioned about it sooner or later, is about parings/shippings. I am doing a lot of those. A whole lot. That's why we're focusing on every viewpoint in the story, rather than just the Emerald Knight's. One could argue that I could make different stories centered around different parings. But, I'd rather just use the fluff in between arcs to extend _everyone's_ love life. I think it makes the experience a bit more wholesome and rewarding.

Some parings will be familiar/canon. Others will be crack as all hell. (Especially more so considering that the Emerald Knight, Elspeth, and Slade will all be shipped with a canon character from the anime). As to who's being shipped with who, some of the parings should be obvious by now, while others I'm still trying to work out. (Like for instance given that there is no 'Lu' to make Nalu. Natsu's paring will undoubtedly be Nali, once she returns from Edolas.)

Lastly, I thank everyone who favorited, followed, reviewed, so on and so forth while I was obsessing over vampire things and not really paying attention to this story. I hope to pick up the pace on the story quickly, and as always, if there are any questions, feel free to ask me. Until next time :)


	56. Chapter 56

**A/N:** Now we have chapter fifty-six! Two chapters in one day, just cause I like you guys so much. Hope you guys enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

Clearly Natsu was too angry to focus on the fact that he was carrying three unconscious bodies at once, "Jellal…you jerk…what the hell could you possibly be doing here?"

" _Natsu! Can you hear me?"_

Natsu's head jerked around as the telepathic voice sounded in his head, "I think a tree is talking to me…"

" _Thank goodness…I've been worried since I haven't been able to contact anyone…are you listening…?"_

"Yes, magical talking tree." Natsu bowed.

" _No, Natsu…it's Hibiki…from Blue Pegasus…"_

"Oh…Hibiki…hey, where is everyone?"

" _Shh, quiet…one of our enemies has good hearing, remember?"_ He warned, _"He could be listening in…so that's why I'm using Archive to talk to you. Do you have Wendy?"_

"Yeah, I got her."

" _Excellent…just as I'd expect. I'm going to upload a map of this location to your head. Get over here as quickly as you can."_

"Huh?" He asked, then a digital ding was heard, and his jaw dropped, "Whoa…I know where everything is now! I'm coming Erza!" He dashed off.

"Hurry, be as quick as you can." Hibiki said on his end, ending the transmission.

The Emerald Knight clanked over to his side, "That's rather impressive. Now he knows where to find us…it makes things a lot simpler."

Hibiki smiled, "Archive always makes everything faster."

The Emerald Knight nodded as the pair stared at the digital screen, "I've never seen magic like this…"

"The very concept of turning data into magic is a relatively new principle."

He nodded once more, walking back over to the poisoned Erza, "Well, with Wendy safe, we'll be able to save Erza." He said, then his gaze hardened out into the forest, "Although we could still be ambushed before Natsu returns. Should that happen, and I shall go to great lengths to protect both Erza and yourself, Hibiki. I will keep a watchful eye until the recovery aid arrives."

* * *

"You're making it hard for me to live up to my name, punk." Racer clenched his fists, "So I'll have to kill you before I get that girl back…"

"Come on, you know if you try to attack me, I'll just stop you again." Gray smirked.

Racer rose a hand in the air, "Let the Dead Grand Prix begin!" He called.

At first, Gray had no idea what Racer was referring to. That is, until he heard countless engines at once. His eyes widened, "What the hell?" He asked, "Motorcycles?"

He was knocked back by a considerable amount of them, Racer smirking as Gray was flattened and smacked down, "It's my motorbike show from hell."

Gray cried out as he was hit by the umpteenth motorbike. "Damn…there's only one way to get outta this…" He leapt in the air, mounting the nearest one, "Huh…it even has an SE plug." He drove ahead, watching as Racer got on one himself, "Let's get this show on the road!"

"Pfft, you really wanna race _me_ , pal?" Racer smirked.

"Yeah, sure, 'race'…" Gray said, getting his hands into position, "Ice-Make Lance!" He fired off hundreds of sharp icicles at Racer.

The aim was far off to being with, what made it worse was when Racer held a hand out, launching a series of his own projectiles to block Gray's attack.

"Tires?" Gray's eyes shrunk. He nearly spun out from that alone. In addition to that, Racer slowed down, so he could purposely bash into Gray's motorbike.

Racer chuckled as he more or less smashed Gray's bike to a complete stop, "What's wrong, ice-boy?"

Gray snarled, trying to start up his vehicle again after Racer got a head start, "If I let him sabotage our efforts to get Wendy to heal Erza, then we're screwed!" He sped off.

Luckily, he sped by two familiar looing figures up ahead, "Lyon!" He grinned.

Lyon blinked in surprised, "Gray?"

"He isn't alone…" Sherry said, her eyes wide and voice nervous as she saw who he was chasing.

Gray came to a screeching halt, "You couldn't have come at a better time, man!" He said, "Get on!"

Lyon's face was still blank, "Excuse me?"

"Just get on!" Lyon obliged and hopped on.

"Lyon?" Sherry was surprised when Lyon actually got on, then cried out his name as he flew off, "Lyon!"

"What about Wendy?" Lyon asked over the shriek of the engine.

"She's fine, Natsu's got her." Gray said. "But I need your help. This bastard's driving too fast and I can't really cast spells while I'm driving this thing."

Lyon smirked, "So you need a _real_ Ice-Make master to deal with your problems for you. Very well."

"Jeez…still have that attitude…" Gray rolled his eyes, then he saw Lyon's stance as he gradually began to attack.

" _What a sorry sight you are. You still need two hands to cast your Ice-Make spells."_

"Lyon…you're…you're using both hands?"

Lyon gave a small, humbled smile, "It's what Ur taught us, right?"

Gray smiled back. Perhaps Lyon was shaping up since the Galuna Island incident.

"Ice-Make Eagle!" Lyon cast dozens of icy birds to fly towards Racer.

Racer clearly didn't see hundreds of icy birds flying at him. His motorbike was completely destroyed by the attack. But Racer dashed away from the explosion, "Enough playing around!" He sped through Gray and Lyon's bike, and not long after that it suffered a similar fate to his own vehicle.

"Ice-Make Ape!" Lyon leapt in the air after the bike was destroyed, sending out an icy gorilla to attack Racer.

"Ice-Make Hammer!" Gray launched his own attack, frowning as Racer kept getting faster and faster, "Nothing's hitting him!"

"Calm your nerves. He's coming in at four o' clock." Lyon said, "You can follow his movements if you concentrate!"

"Right." Gray nodded, with himself and Lyon stripping their coats and shirts off, the latter of which having a newfound blue Lamia Scale tattoo on his right pectoral, "Let's do this, Lyon!"

"On my signal, fire with everything you've got!" Lyon commanded.

Racer nearly slowed to a complete stop at this, "That's weird…" He said to himself, "Why are they stripping?"

Sherry didn't show herself after she had caught up with them, instead staying hidden behind a tree. Her cheeks heated up at the sight in front of her, "I'm not sure I've ever seen him do this before…"

"Now! Fifty meters in front of us!" Lyon said.

"Got it!" Gray said, "Ice Geyser!" A beautiful pillar of ice spiked up from the ground.

"Ice-Make Snow Dragon!" Lyon cast a large ice dragon, timing the attack so Racer either had to get by that or the Ice Geyser.

Except Racer was hit by neither, he sped by, completely unscathed. "What? That's impossible!" Gray's jaw dropped.

"He can go even faster?" Sherry brought a hand over her mouth.

Lyon peered at the sky for a second, seeing a trio of birds zoom by at overwhelming speeds. "Over here, slowpokes!" Racer knocked him out of his reverie, hitting both himself and Gray with such speeds that they fell over.

Sherry winced, "I would never have guessed the Oración Seis was _this_ powerful…"

"Attack me all you want!" Racer said, coming to a stop, for now. "It'll never hit me. No one can catch up to me." He crossed his arms and Gray and Lyon regrouped, "I think it's time to end this. Then I can get that girl back."

While Gray looked both disheveled and worn out, Lyon had a smile on his face, "We've won, Gray." He said, "I just found out his weakness."

"Hmm?" Racer looked confused, even more so when Gray and Lyon started whispered.

Gray looked confused, "But how will that even—"

"It's settled, that's the plan." Lyon said.

"But—"

"I won't need you anymore!" Lyon held a hand up, freezing Gray into a huge pillar of ice.

"Lyon…what the hell?!" Gray screamed through the ice.

"Lyon!" Sherry gasped in awe, wanting to run out there and pull him out of the ice herself.

"Jeez…harsh much?" Racer asked, "Wasn't he your friend?"

"Don't be mistaken. We are _not_ friends." Lyon's face went decidedly cold, "We merely studied under the same master. That was all."

"But Lyon—" Sherry stepped out from hiding.

"Don't." Lyon said, "This a battle that Lamia Scale is taking as a victory all on its own!"

Her shoulders sank, "Um…yes, alright…if…you insist…" She nervously looked up at Gray.

"Oh well." Racer got into position, "It's that kinda arrogance that can lead you to an early defeat!" He sped forward, "I mean, not that you guys had a chance of winning in the first place!"

"Now who's getting arrogant?" Lyon countered.

Sherry started to grow impatient. "Now, Wood Doll!" She waved her hands up in the air. Her giant Ent-like creature rose from the ground to crush Racer.

Racer laughed as he dashed through the creature so many times, it was eventually destroyed, "Oh my god…way too slow!" He laughed, "It's practically standing still!" He smashed into Sherry next, she screamed and fell back.

"Over here, slowpoke!" Lyon taunted, running away from the battlefield.

Lyon was hit again, but he smiled and stood tall, "Your attacks have no bite behind them whatsoever." He said, "Go as fast as you want, but it's pointless if you can't deal effective damage."

Racer sped towards him _again_ , but Lyon shrunk down a little, "Ice-Make Hedgehog!" He proclaimed, sprouting icy spikes all over his back, "Ah, ah, don't get too close unless you want to get skewered!" He then started running off again, "What's the matter, Racer? Too scared to get shish-ka-bobbed to properly attack?"

"You underestimate me." Racer grinned, "Gear Change…" A magical glow burst off of him, "Red Zone!"

He sped towards Lyon. Not only did this strike draw blood, but it also completely shattered all of his frigid defenses too.

"Do you think I really go all out from the get-go against such a weak opponent?" Racer said.

Lyon kept running off, "Sure, 'weak opponent.' If that were true, you would have finished me off by now. What's the matter, where's your mettle?"

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Racer growled, speeding at him again. He attacked Lyon in a flurry of strikes, to the point where Lyon fell back, overcome with scratches and bruises, "Man, what happened to all that big talk from before?!"

"No, Lyon…" Sherry whimpered, "How is this possible…" She felt tears well up in her eyes.

Lyon brushed it off, he kept running away. "How far do you plan on going?" Racer asked, striking him again. Unlike the other times Lyon was down, Racer capitalized on this opportunity. He pinned him down, snapping off a nearby icicle and aiming it ay Lyon's throat.

"You picked the wrong wizard to mess with, kid. Your act was cocky, your magic was pitiful, and instead of fighting me head on, you ran away." He grinned, "I'm one of the Oración Seis!" He shouted to the heavens, "Six demons, six prayers, six pillars. Ones that will never crumble." He pressed the ice against Lyon's throat, " _Anyone_ who tries to knock those pillars down, gets slaughtered."

Lyon felt the cold ice, one wrist-flick, and he would be dead. However, he was laughing, "I knew it!" He said, when Racer frowned, he went on, "I saw it before and I see it now. The…the birds…I saw them flying incredibly fast…it was then I realized how your magic worked…" He said, "You're not fast, you're no faster than anyone else. Your magic doesn't _raise_ your speed. It _lowers_ everyone else's. And of course, all magic is subject to its casters range and boundaries." He said, "So you may have lowered my speed, but I'm afraid your magic cannot affect those outside of its range."

It took Racer a few seconds to catch on, then his eyes widened. That 'prison' that Lyon trapped Gray in was more of a tower, and Gray was wielding a huge, icy bow. "No way!" He backed away, "That entire thing was a trick! You weren't getting into a fight! You were giving him a sniping post!"

Gray snickered, aiming his bow, "Got a pretty clear shot from here."

"There's no way he'll hit me! He's way too far away!"

Lyon closed his eyes, now that the tension and focus was off of him, "He'll hit. Trust me. Underestimating Fairy Tail is a mistake you don't want to make."

Racer screamed as the icy arrow cast a blue light over the entire arena. The freezing arrow shattered his shades and knocked him back. _My prayer…to be the fastest…the fastest ever…so no one can ever catch me._

When the light cleared, all that was left was the two ice wizards and Sherry. Lyon was still sitting on the ground. Gray smiled as he approached him, "I can't believe we beat one of the Oración Seis."

"I can't believe there's five more wizards as strong as him." Lyon said.

"You really tricked me, Lyon…" Sherry kneeled at his side, gently holding one of his hands with both of hers, "I thought you were abandoning Gray…"

Gray smiled, "That's what Ur's training gets ya."

Lyon smiled back, still content with just resting.

"Can you even stand?"

"Don't patronize me, Gray."

"This ain't over yet!" Racer emerged from seemingly out of nowhere, bloodied and hardly able to move, "In the name of the Oración Seis, I'm taking one of you down with me!"

The three of them didn't get it at first, but then Gray pointed at Racer's chest, "Crap, are those explosive lacrima?"

"You're kidding!" Sherry gasped.

"Damn it." Gray stood protectively in front of Sherry and the semi-downed Lyon.

"I'm not going down alone!" Racer yelled, his eyes beyond gone at this point in terms of sanity.

Lyon's eyes popped open, he already made the calculations, saw the cliff, estimated the distance. He leapt up, tackled Racer back, until they both fell off the cliff.

"Lyon, what are you doing?" Gray yelled.

Sherry scrambled forward on all fours, her cry like that of a banshee, " _Lyon!_ "

"You'll be the death of me, Gray…" Lyon said, as a shining light from an explosion came from the bottom of the cliff.

"Lyon!" Gray called out.

* * *

Pain consumed him for moments on end. He held his head in never ending agony. "Racer…has been defeated?" Brain asked, feeling one of the black markings on his face fade away, "One of the six demons has perished? Impossible!" He slammed his fist into a wall, "I took them too lightly!" He kept trembling in pain, "I never expected to awaken _him_ …" He said, looking at the sleeping man in the corner. "Midnight!" He said, greeted with a pair of sinister red eyes when the man awoke, "Wipe them out. Every single one of them."

Midnight gave a small bow, "Yes, father."

* * *

 **A/N:** It's nice for Lyon to have some time in the limelight. I like it when he and Gray work together. Happy Thanksgiving to anyone still awake, and I'll see you all next time!


	57. Chapter 57

**A/N:** Here's chapter fifty-seven! Leading up to a scene I've been looking forward to doing for a long time now. Enjoy the chapter, as Nirvana activates and starts causing everyone to switch sides!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

Gray's jaw fell lower and lower, as he kept staring over the cliff. As if Lyon would climb up and be okay. He fell to his knees, "Lyon…"

"No…" Sherry's voice was hoarse, "No, no, why would he do that!?"

Gray shook himself off, then he stood up, "I'm gonna go look for him. Come on!"

Sherry hesitated. Her mind was clogged with thoughts of Lyon, her heart throbbed. "Who's fault is this…" Her voice was low and cold.

* * *

Even as patient as he was, Jura knew he had a mission to do. "I know you're out here." He said, "Come on. Show yourself!"

The ground around him softened, and Jura just barely dodged a huge mud attack. "I should have expected as much from a Wizard Saint." He heard Hoteye's voice.

Jura frowned, launching a huge amount of stone pillars at his opponent. However, Hoteye was easily able to reduce the rock to rubble and mush.

"Mmm, this shall be an interesting conflict. My magic softens the earth while yours solidifies it. I wonder who will triumph."

"There's no greater or lesser magic." Jura said, "Those with stronger ideology will prevail!"

"Oh, but I'm afraid not. Those who win…why…they're always the rich! Oh yeah!"

* * *

The rustling bushes provided little to no comfort for Hibiki and the Emerald Knight. The latter immediately pulled for his lance. But once he saw that it was Natsu, he relaxed.

"Finally! I found you guys!" Natsu cheered, carrying Happy, Carla, and Wendy.

"Natsu, you've returned." The Emerald Knight greeted with a smile.

"So how the heck did I suddenly get a map in my head?" Natsu looked at Hibiki with rash curiosity.

"I'll explain later. First, we need Wendy." Hibiki said.

"Oh yeah." Natsu said, getting to Wendy's level, "Hey! Wendy! Wake up! Wake up please! We need you to save Erza!"

"Don't shake her like that!" The Emerald Knight said.

Somehow, Natsu's tactics worked, because one of her eyes peered open. And then she scrambled back, cowering, "Ah—ah! Please don't h-hurt me, I'm so sorry…"  
Natsu took a begging stance, "I'm willing to overlook that right now. Erza's been bitten by a poisonous snake, and she needs your help! Please, save Erza!"

"Poison…?" Wendy asked, calming herself a little bit since Natsu seemed far from aggressive.

Hibiki nodded, "If we're going to defeat the Oración Seis, we'll need Erza's help."

"If your magic has the ability to reverse poison, then by all means, do what you can." The Emerald Knight said.

"Of course, I can do that!" Wendy seemed invigorated, "I'll give it my best!" She scrambled over to Erza and held her hands out, a little orb of blue light appeared. She slowly pushed it towards Erza's chest. _They said he did terrible things to you, Erza…he couldn't have…_

* * *

Although it matched his skillset, following someone around proved pesky, simplistic. A basic job he would assigned from years ago. Nevertheless, wherever Jellal was headed, it was further into the Worthwood Sea than he predicted.

"Jeez…what's with this guy?" Cobra wondered, "I can't even hear his thoughts. If I could, I wouldn't have to follow him this closely." He said, his eyes widening as he hid behind the nearest tree, "He stopped?"

Cobra watched as he continued, into a huge complex of caverns. At the heart of it, Jellal stopped once more, "What the heck is this place?" He asked, "I don't remember it even being here…"

Jellal held a hand out, a glow coming from it as he interacted with the wall, "No way…" Cobra's jaw dropped, "Was Brain right all along? Is this Nirvana?"

A brilliant white glow exploded from within the area confirmed this thought, "Sweet! He found it!" Cobra's face lit up with the upmost sense of joy, "Nirvana, it's finally ours! Now our future will finally come true!"

* * *

A relieved sigh left Wendy's mouth, "It's done." When everyone looked on expectantly, she clarified, "There is no more poison in her body."

"And…?" Natsu asked.

The Emerald Knight stood over her, "She's breathing." He said. This was met with collective cheers at the realization that Erza would be alive and fighting fit.

"Alright, high five, Ant!" Natsu smiled.

The Emerald Knight gave a small smile as he took his gauntlet off, "If you insist."

"Carla, high five!" Happy said.

"Once and only once." Carla grumbled, extending a paw.

"Wendy!" Natsu grinned, holding a hand out. Her eyes were wide as she extended a hand for a high five. "Thanks a-million!"

Wendy seemed shocked he was thankful at all. Then she looked away with a small smile, "I'm not sure when she'll wake up, but at least she's not in danger anymore…"

"Wow…this is amazing…she looks a lot better now." Hibiki said, examining Erza with no personal space involved whatsoever, "Is this what Sky Magic can do?"

"Back." The Emerald Knight pulled him by the shoulder, "I see without Slade here, I'll have to reign them in…"

Carla crossed her arms, "Now listen. Wendy cannot do any more sky magic. As you can see, it uses a considerable amount of her energy."

"Don't worry about me." Wendy said, then she added softly, "Especially after what I did…"

"Once Erza wakes up, we'll be able to start our counter attack." Hibiki said.

The Emerald Knight nodded, "We may have to exercise more caution if we're to face the Oración Seis like that again. Was the recommendation not two of our wizards to every one of theirs?"

Natsu crossed his arms, "We'll never let them get Nirvana!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy pumped a fist in the air.

A huge white light exploded from the far away distance. Wrapped around it was a sickening black light. The pillar of light seemed to exude a huge amount of magic power, and the light from it was only getting stronger.

"What in blazes?" The Emerald Knight's eyes were frantic.

"A black pillar of light…" Wendy's eyes went wide.

"It can't be…!" Carla gasped.

Hibiki's eyes went smaller and smaller, as if the die had already been cast, "It's…it's Nirvana!"

* * *

Everyone was surprised to see the roaring light erupting from the depths of the Worthwood Sea. Among them was the master of Oración Seis, and his son.

"I…I can't believe it…words fail me…" Brain's jaw was agape.

"Congratulations, father." Midnight smirked, "I'll make sure that every single member of the light guilds are eliminated." He said, "You should go to the light, father. It will need your guidance."

* * *

"That's impossible!" The Emerald Knight looked on, stunned, "Are you telling me that we _already_ failed? That the Oración Seis have finally unlocked Nirvana?"

"That light…" Natsu fumed, bits of him starting to catch fire, "That's where Jellal is!"

"Jellal?" The Emerald Knight looked to him in shock, "Jellal's here? You can't be serious, can you? In addition to this mess, we have to deal with Jellal again?" He asked, Natsu didn't respond, instead, he ran off. The Emerald Knight held a gauntlet out, "Wait! Natsu! Where's Jellal? Is he the mastermind behind the Oración Seis? What is he doing here?"

"No, no, it's all my fault!" Wendy cried out.

"I can't let him and Erza meet!" Natsu said as he was borderline sprinting towards the light, "I'm gonna burn him to a crisp!"

* * *

The duo from Blue Pegasus were equally as surprised as everyone else when the black and white light shot out into the sky, "What is that?" Eve pointed.

"Look at all the trees." Ren looked around, seeing the trees and most of the wildlife for that matter glowing black, "It's like all its energy is being sucked into the light!"

"How is that even possible?"

"Damn…I'm starting to think that light is Nirvana…"

Eve gulped, "So someone found it?"

"But the question is, who found it?" Ren put two fingers on his temple, "Hibiki? Come in, Hibiki? What's going on? You there?"

"I think with all this magic power around, it's jamming our telepathic signals." Eve said.

Ren gave up trying to contact his allies in Blue Pegasus, "Crap, we need to make sure Wendy's safe…then we need to stop Nirvana."

"Got it!"

* * *

"What was that?" Jura asked.

"It was Nirvana!" Hoteye exclaimed, smiling, "But you mustn't worry. Its main power isn't active yet. The white light merely means that the seal is broken." He chuckled, "But finally, everlasting money for all! Oh yeah!"

Jura scowled. _I don't have time to waste fighting this cretin. But still…the very reason we came here was to defeat the Oración Seis! Do I fight him? Or do I stop Nirvana?"_

"Now we'll all be rich, beyond our wildest dreams, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Hoteye laughed and laughed, until he froze in place, paralyzed by something unknown.

The earsplitting scream he gave didn't seem to ease Jura's mind either, "What? What's happening to him?"

* * *

"I'm going after Natsu." Hibiki said, his face deadly serious as he began to take off.

"It's dangerous to go alone!" The Emerald Knight held a gauntlet out, "Especially with Jellal around, wait for us!" He looked back at Happy, "I thought Jellal died in the Tower of Heaven?"

"I'll explain later…right now, we—"

"Where did Erza go?" Carla's voice interrupted, "She's…she's gone!"

Wendy put her hands over her mouth, stumbling back in shock.

Carla just looked irritated, "What is wrong with that woman? Not a word of thanks to Wendy!"

Happy swallowed hard, "You don't think she heard us talking about Jellal…do you?"

"What'll I do…?" Wendy started panicking, "It's all my fault…all of it! It all started when I cured Jellal, and then he went out for Nirvana, and everyone warned me he would, but…but why would he do that! Why would he do that to me? Now Erza's gonna get hurt and Natsu's gonna get hurt and—" She suddenly shrieked as she was blasted back to the ground.

Carla's fur bristled up on edge, her teeth almost seemed to look like they belonged to a feral animal rather than a kitty-cat, "Just what do you think you're doing!?"  
Hibiki's face looked both stern and unforgiving as Wendy was felled. The Emerald Knight was hopelessly perplexed. He was looking from Hibiki and Wendy with utter confusion. Why would Hibiki strike down an ally?

* * *

"Jellal!" Natsu screamed as he relentlessly ran forward, "I'm coming for ya! Jellal!"

"Hey, there he is!" A horde of wizards in racer suits blocked his path, "He's from Fairy Tail! It's time for our revenge!"

"Racer was the head of our guild!" Another wizard said, "So we'll show you the _definition_ of true speed!"

Natsu snarled, his fists clenching as he heated up, "You're in my way!" He burned through the group, knocking most of the guild back to the point where they were either badly burned or unconscious completely, "I'll be the one to take you down, Jellal!"

* * *

"Sorry I scared you all like that. She's only unconscious." Hibiki said, the out of commission Wendy on his back.

As usual, the Emerald Knight was lagging behind slightly, compared to the others, "She would be more useful to us awake. Especially given where we're headed."

"That's why we need to find Natsu and Erza, as soon as possible. We're heading straight for Nirvana."

"I still don't forgive you for that rash stint of violence you pulled on such a little girl." Carla scowled.

"Yeah, way too far!" Happy added.

Hibiki frowned, looking ahead, "I had no other choice."

The Emerald Knight furrowed his brows, "You…had no other choice?"

"If you want the truth, it has to do with Nirvana." He said, "But because of the nature of the magic, I couldn't tell anyone. Being conscious of it, in itself, is dangerous." He explained, "That's why Slade, Ren, and Eve don't know about it. Master Bob only told me."

He gave a slight nod, "Go on."

"It's an incredibly powerful and dangerous magic." Hibiki said, "It turns light into darkness."

Not many looked too satisfied with the answer. Happy blankly stared ahead, "Light…"

"Into darkness…" Carla continued.

"They switch?" The Emerald Knight asked, "So how does that affect wizards?"

"Well, the first thing that happens when the seal is broken is that light we all see in front of us." Hibiki said, "The black light…takes people teetering on the edge of light and darkness and causes them to switch sides. People of the light with strong negative feelings…tumble into darkness."

"So that's why Wendy had to be put out of commission." Carla said, still sounding disgruntled.

"It's because she felt guilty. If I hadn't knocked her out, she might've been consumed by darkness…"

There was a silence as they all kept running, until the Emerald Knight added, "Natsu wants revenge against Jellal, that's clear. That wouldn't corrupt him, would it?"

"I can't say…" Hibiki pondered, "Considering that the rage and vengeance is for someone else's sake, it could actually be clarified as a good feeling."

"I don't get this at all…" Happy said.

"You really aren't clever at all, are you?" Carla huffed, "When the seal of Nirvana was broken," She clarified, "Those who find their hearts moved by justice or evil will have their wills reversed."

"That's why I couldn't tell anyone about the magic." Hibiki said, "When people think in terms of good and evil, it could make things worse than they already are." He looked at the sky for moment "If only he didn't exist. Who's to blame for putting me through this? Why does this always have to happen to me? Nirvana takes all these thoughts and judges them."

* * *

"Where the hell could he be?" Gray asked, "Lyon!" He called, "Lyon!"

 _Somebody has to be to blame for this…_ Sherry's gaze grew distant, _It…it couldn't be him…but…_ She listlessly looked up at Gray, _What if it was…?_

The earth behind them began to crumble as Sherry lifted her arms up and summoned a Wood Doll. It snapped forth, grabbing Gray by the throat and bringing him to his knees as Sherry smiled. "Hey…" Gray coughed, grabbing at his neck, "What are you doing?" He choked, "Let me go!"

It was hopeless, however. Even as Gray bristled with icy powers, they faded just as suddenly as they appeared. He collapsed on the ground.

"I've avenged you, Lyon, my darling…" She sighed, "But I don't think enough Fairy blood has been shed yet…"

* * *

Hoteye's haunting scream still echoed amongst the forest, only to be broken up by horrid chants of, "Money! Money! Money!"

"What's going on?" Jura asked, "It's as if he's possessed…"

"Money! Money! Money!" He faced Jura again, his trance over just as sudden as it had begun, "Is the root of all evil. Oh yeah!"

Jura's jaw dropped.

"I've been desperate to reunite with my long lost brother after we've been separated. I thought perhaps if I attained lots and lots of money, that I could finally find him. But…now I finally realize how wrong I was."

"…what…?"

"So I've decided to part with violence altogether. This world is filled with love!" He cried, "Oh yeah! This world, overflowing with sweetness and compassion! As long as there's love in this world, nothing is impossible!" He continued crying tears of joy, giving Jura a big bear hug, "Now come, let us continue to stop the plans of my former guild mates! We shall give them lessons in the wonders of love!"

Jura's face looked a mixed of surprised and confused, a dumb grin on his face, "Uh…"

* * *

Ren coughed up blood as he fell to the ground, in too much pain to get back up, it seemed.

"Well, that's two down." Midnight concluded, bored enough with their performance, "The hunt continues."

"What's with this guy…?" Eve said weakly, covered in blood as well, "My magic doesn't even _faze_ him…"

"Hmm?" Midnight glared down at him, "Still alive?"

Eve gave a frightened squeal, skittering back, but it was hopeless. A dark energy formed in Midnight's hand, "All enemy wizards must be eliminated." He held a hand out. An explosion was heard, along with countless screams from Eve.

* * *

"So if we don't do anything to stop Nirvana soon, we'll all switch allegiances?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Hey, at least then everyone in the Dark Guilds would turn good, right?" Happy smiled.

"…that doesn't seem like a very effective weapon. Why the Oración Seis spend so much time and resources on that?"

Hibiki's expression soured, "Because…Nirvana can be _controlled_."

"Controlled? How so?"

"For example, if Nirvana was used on a guild…members of the guild could be commanded to kill each other…or the guild might start a war for no reason. Anything is possible once Nirvana is fully active." He said, "Unless we stop it quickly, all the Light Guilds will be wiped out!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Next time, the Emerald Knight vs. Angel. Thanks for reading!


	58. Chapter 58

**A/N:** Here's chapter fifty-eight! The elusive Angel fight quickly approaches! I had a lot of fun writing this one, and finally giving the Emerald Knight center stage! I hope you all enjoy it just as much!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

"Jellal!" Natsu screamed, still running as fast as he could towards Nirvana, "You're done for, Jellal!" He stopped at a small river nearby, "Hmm?" He squinted, then his eyes widened when he saw the downed body of Gray, "Gray?" He ran over and tried to shake him awake, "What are you doing? What the hell happened to you, man? What happened to that Racer guy?" He asked, shaking Gray a bit more, "Hey!" He snapped, "Jeez…I'm in a hurry here, idiot…will you wake up?"

Gray's eyes snapped open much too quickly for Natsu's liking. He rose from his downed positon, as did a wooden raft underneath both of their feet.

"What the…?" Natsu looked around, "A raft?!" He asked, but then everything suddenly slowed down for him. He tried to get off, but instead he aimlessly stumbled around, "Urp…"

"How pathetic, Natsu. You've always been motion sick, haven't you?" Gray asked, a devilish smile upon his face.

"Gray…" Natsu shuddered, falling to the ground.

"It's time for me and you to finally settle things here, once and for all." Gray materialized a giant, icy lance, aiming it at Natsu.

A green bolt of lightning flew across the field, shattering Gray's weapon to bits and giving him a mild shock. "What is the meaning of this?" The Emerald Knight asked, with him were Hibiki, Carla, Happy, and an unconscious Wendy.

"Ant…" Natsu reached a hand out weakly, but he was completely powerless.

Gray growled, brushing soot off of him, "Stay outta this, Ant!"

"Nirvana…?" The Emerald Knight wondered aloud quietly, "No…it can't be…I refuse to believe it." He said, "Though…why would Gray and Natsu fight at a time like this? Even as boneheaded as they can be…they wouldn't choose _now_ to do it of all times."

"Urp…" Natsu said.

"Natsu! Quickly! Come to dry land!"

"I…I can't…it's…it's swaying…"

"Natsu! I'll save you!" Happy flew forward.

Gray held a hand out, freezing Happy in place. The frozen Happy thudded to the ground.

"Tomcat!" Carla gasped, flying in the air.

The Emerald Knight held his lance and shield firm, "Everyone else, stay back, I'll take care of him."

"Information on Happy…Happy can fly and carry people. Completely useless in battle." Gray listed.

"He's fallen to the dark side…" Hibiki backed away.

The Emerald Knight narrowed his eyes, "No…he hasn't…"

"Information on the Emerald Knight. Uses lightning-based magic and is mostly protected by armor. Goes by 'Ant' to his guild mates…and apparently had a fiancée named Miranda. Hmm. So the knight gets around."

The Emerald Knight grit his teeth, "You'll pay _dearly_ for that."

Gray snickered and blasted a large array of icicles at the lot of them.

The Emerald Knight raised his shield. Given it was the size of a dinner table, it blocked all the projectiles with ease. He looked back, "Carla, take Wendy to safety. I'll take care of this!"

"Without a doubt." Carla snatched Wendy and flew off swiftly.

Hibiki stood next to the Emerald Knight, "Let's take him on together."

The Emerald Knight nodded, "Right."

"Hibiki through Gray's eyes. Blue Pegasus playboy. No further details. Huh…what a waste." Gray said.

The Emerald Knight pointed his lance at him, "Gray is a cool individual, the opposite of the flaming Natsu. He doesn't think rashly or go by impulses, as Natsu does. Therefore, he would be the _last_ person to fall prey to Nirvana." He said, "Why don't you tell us who you really are?"

Gray smirked, a puff of smoke went off, and he turned into the Emerald Knight. A duplicate one, that is.

The Emerald Knight furrowed his brows, "I recall this magic before…"

The doppelganger snickered, holding his lance out. "Ah, your armor is made from the fallen souls of the Celestial world, now is it?" He grinned, "How precious."

The Emerald Knight frowned, "We fought before. Though I don't expect you to match up to my skill."

"We'll see about that." The doppelganger said, "Swords of Retribution!" He raised his lance up high, twelve swords shot out towards them.

The Emerald Knight held his shield out, "Unfortunately, I blocked them all."

The doppelganger stuck his tongue out, "Wasn't aiming at you!"

The Emerald Knight looked back in horror, seeing at least six plasma swords sticking through Hibiki. Hibiki choked up blood, "…no…" He fell back.

"Hibiki!" The Emerald Knight held a hand out.

"That's enough." As her slippers hit the ground, they made no sound, "Nirvana's been found so it's no use wasting precious time."

"As you wish." The fake Emerald Knight collapsed into a familiar pair of spirits.

"Hello, Ant, darling!" Angel exclaimed, waving an arm, "How does it feel to gaze upon an angel?"

The Emerald Knight already looked finished with all this. "If you were a _real_ angel…I wouldn't have to spend effort spilling your blood."

She laughed, "Oh, how chivalrous. Oh, but I nearly forgot about _Miranda_ , the little tramp." She rested a hand on her hip, "I digress. Your personal affairs won't mean a thing when I take your dead body and bring it to the Oración Seis. They'll be simply thrilled. Maybe I'll mount that shiny little armor on a wall. Or sell it for some new clothes. Oh, the options with you are endless."

"Wait…Ant…let me help you…" The bleeding Hibiki tried to get up.

The Emerald Knight held an arm out, "No. Stay where you are. This is my battle." He said, stepping forward into the river. His footsteps were heavy, as was the expression on his face, "If she fights as well as her appearance would suggest, then this will be over shortly."

She gave a staccato and tart laugh, "You should learn not to judge by appearances, dear. If that were true, I'd be tempted to think you stand a chance against me!"  
The Emerald Knight's grip around his lance tightened. He was in a battle-ready position, his shield prominently out. Presumably he was waiting for her to make the first move. He didn't know why he insisted on fighting her alone. Or why he didn't feel any fear on fighting one of the dreaded _Oración Seis_ one-on-one. Maybe he came a long way since he first joined the guild with Natsu.

"How kind of you, letting the lady make the first move." Her already deadly smirk somehow grew more toxic, "Open, gate of the scorpion, Scorpio!" As the spirit was summoned, she shifted her weight to the other leg, "Let's buff some of that armor, alright dear?" Her tone was bitter and imploring towards the spirit.

"Ha, ha! I was born to be wicked!" A casual, laid-back voice said as a tan-skinned man appeared in front of the Emerald Knight. His short hair was split in half, one side red, and one side white. His metal tail was shaped more like a gun, and it was pointed right at the Emerald Knight. He wore no shirt, but had a golden-trimmed collar. He wore black shorts, and had bandages wrapped around his arms and legs.

"A Celestial Spirit user." The Emerald Knight said. Rage compelled him to end this quickly. But he knew it wasn't wise to underestimate his opponent. Especially in this case, he needed to be slow and methodical. He would aim for the wizard herself, rather than waste time with the spirits. And with his new spell, a feat like that would be easy.

"Sand Buster!" Scorpio shot out a huge sandstorm at the Emerald Knight from his tail. The gale was positively massive.

The Emerald Knight gave Angel and Scorpio a cold glare, moving his shield and blocking the attack. So the worst of the storm went around him.

However, he was doing more than simply _blocking_ the attack. His shield glowed green, _absorbing_ the wicked sandstorm that came his way. He narrowed his eyes, aiming his shield at Angel. Evidently it was very hard to move, like moving a giant cannon.

"Mirror Shield!" He bellowed, a horrid gust of the sandstorm ripping straight through Angel. It was twice as powerful as the attack that was originally intended to hit him.

She shrieked and fell back, coated in sand and burns, "Ugh, you…wretched thing…" She scrambled back to her feet, "Scorpio, use your brains, not your brawn! Don't touch that shield!"

The Emerald Knight still looked unamused. Luckily, or perhaps, unluckily, depending on your viewpoint, Mirror Shield didn't cost any magic power.

It costed _vitality_.

A bloody scar drew itself on the Emerald Knight's forehead, "I shall warn you once that I have defeated Celestial wizards before. Your fate will most likely end the same."

Scorpio looked back at Angel, deciding to stand more protectively in front of her. "Sand Spear!" Scorpio shot out more sand. Only this time it was condensed and direct. Like it could pierce through flesh and bones with ease.

The Emerald Knight blocked the attack with his shield. "It's useless."

Scorpio growled. He wasn't going to get anywhere with that damn shield up. He could attack the Emerald Knight from _behind_ , but then the knight could easily go in for a direct attack on Angel. And pissing off the mistress was _not_ a good idea. "Sand Buster-Revision!" Scorpio got on to all fours, resembling a real scorpion, as he fired off a sandstorm again.

However, this attack was aimed for the ground. It blew upward. He aimed to move the Emerald Knight in the air and leave him harmless.

Only the Emerald Knight was too heavy to be moved by the gust of sand. Aside from getting his skin torn at by sand particles, nothing was happening. Aside from his deathly glare getting worse.

"Ugh, get out of here, you're making a fool of me!" Angel swiped his key down and sent him back to the celestial world. She took out two other keys, "If you want to use tricks on me, I'll show you how much I can do the very same. Open, gate of the ram. Aries."

Upon being summoned, the sound of a sheep 'baahing' could be heard. Yet, there stood a tiny girl, pink woolly hair, and even a pair of horns on her head. Her clothing was all woolen as well, what little of it she was wearing. Her eyes were wide and nervous, her entire posture looked nervous.

"Open, gate of the chisel." Angel added, summoning a large, robotic spherical spirit from a silver key.

"She can open multiple gates at once?" The Emerald Knight's eyes shrunk.

"Aries?" That made Hibiki perk up, he looked around frantically, "Aries…why…why does she…?" He raged.

The Emerald Knight looked from Angel to Aries, "Where did you get that spirit from?"

She brushed some of her hair out of her face, adjusting her dress. She still seemed in a mood, something more than he'd ever seen in anyone, possibly. "Well, what do you think? I suppose knights weren't trained to be intellects, were they? Her master was a failure. Finder's keepers, loser's weepers." She stepped forward and put her hand on Aries's head. This only terrified the poor thing even more.

"So…so you…"

"I _killed_ her." She said slowly, then grinned, "Her blood looked good on those keys when I pulled them from her cold, dead hands."

"What?!" Hibiki sat up, "You… _you_ killed Karen! She…she was my guild mate! I…I loved her! You…when…when I get my hands on you!"

The Emerald Knight's eyes darted to Hibiki. For now, he was content with letting Hibiki throw his tantrum. He was too injured to cause any harm, even if Nirvana did strike him down now. His dark green eyes instead zeroed in on Aries, "I will save you."

Aries looked more terrified, "W-W-What!?"

" _Save?_ " Angel raised a brow, "What is that supposed to mean? She's a spirit, darling, a weapon. _Save_." She started laughing.

"She's had nothing but abusive masters." The Emerald Knight said, "I will end that streak here and now." He said. Honestly, he nearly forgot about Cana telling him the whole stint with Loke, Aries, and Karen. But now that he saw it all out in the open, he could emphasize with her. If how Angel and Karen treated Aries was _anything_ like how Caesar treated the knights in training, then she needed to be freed from those circumstances as soon as humanly possible.

"Abusive? Darling, she's a spirit. She's a thing, no different than your shield and armor." She pinched one of Aries's cheeks before she pat her on the shoulder, "Go on, darling, show him your mettle."

Aries swallowed hard as she stepped forward. His armor seemed to be the biggest threat, so she launched her hands out to shoot bright pink wool all over him, attempting to wedge the armor off of his body.

The pink wool headed towards him made the Emerald Knight's eyes shrink even more. He raised his lance to fight back, but then his eyes softened once he saw who he was fighting. He lowered his weapon, "I refuse to attack Aries."

The wool swallowed him up. The Emerald Knight thrashed about. His armor was stubborn in parting with him, though the wool left him relaxed and stunned. The Emerald Knight's thrashing lessened, like he was in a nice warm sauna, or in a deep sleep.

Angel cackled, "Yes, I knew it! You really are pathetic, aren't you? This is how you admit defeat!?"

The Emerald Knight was half-asleep, yet defiant, "I'm…I'm going to save them." His voice gradually rose to a shout, "I'm going to save them all! All the spirits owned by you! I'm going to do the very same thing I did with Duke Everlue once he was defeated! I'm going to turn over the keys to the Magic Council so they won't fall into the hands of greedy little brats like you!"

"Mmm hmm." She seemed bored, swatting her hand at her chisel spirit, "Cannon mode. Energy Blast!"

The little spirit shifted gears, turning its round body into that of a cannon. It then shot out a bright green beam towards the Emerald Knight.

That was, until Aries stepped in the way. She shrieked as it pierced through her back and turned her to nothing but glitter.

Angel gasped, "Oh, you puny brat!" She spat, grasping her golden ram key, "You will pay for that!"

The Emerald Knight's eyes shook as he saw where Aries was once standing. She, she _saved_ him. She didn't completely lose her faith in humanity? After _two_ terrible masters? He growled, he was going to reunite her with Loke, or at least save her, one way or another.

He half-smiled, "My lance would never fail me."

She scowled, "Your lance wasn't tricked by some…filthy cretin." She flicked her hand, "Fire again, Caelum, we don't have all day!"

The spirit revved up again, but it seemed to take a little while to fire.

The Emerald Knight held his shield up, blocking the shot once it fired, "Without Aries's wool, you can't stop me from blocking your attacks. Consider yourself finished." He shot a green lightning bolt out of his lance.

She hopped out of the way, splashing in the water. "Damn." She cursed under her breath, taking out another key, "Open, gate of the twins, Gemini!"

Sure enough, there were two Emerald Knights in a matter of seconds.

Their lances locked, "You again." The Emerald Knight hissed.

"That's right." The doppelganger gave a voracious laugh, "And I know _all_ of your tricks!" He said, "You won't win against me."

The Emerald Knight gave a heavy sigh, "I had nearly forgotten about the spirit who could copy others…"

"Good." Angel grasped onto her chisel spirit, it now resembled its name much more, "Because it also seems you've forgotten about me…"

The Emerald Knight's eyes widened, he took a much more defensive stance. Unaware that the cannon could even _work_ as a functioning melee weapon. "Any whelp can pick up a stick and play swordfight—"

The Emerald Knight was electrocuted by one of his own attacks from the doppelganger. The fake knight laughed, "Ha, ha, ha, ha! You're too boring!"

The Emerald Knight nearly fell to one knee, "I…take resisted damage…to electrical attacks…I'll have you know…"

Angel's eyes narrowed before she brought her new weapon down towards the Emerald Knight, "What is that supposed to mean?"

He blocked her with his shield, blocking the doppelganger with his lance. But it was obvious that he couldn't take the double teaming parry for much longer. His arms were shaking. "I'm suggesting that defeating me with me may not be your wisest idea."

"But why?" She was growing frustrated.

"If we can't use electricity effectively, why don't we use brute force!" The doppelganger sheathed his lance, making the Emerald Knight stumble forward a bit, "Gauntlet Hammer!"

The Emerald Knight coughed up blood, getting hit in the face by a glowing green gauntlet. He didn't know whether to find it flattering or annoying to be hit by his own attacks. He fell back into the water, not taking the hit well at all. The Mirror Shield opening a wound there in the first place most likely contributed to this.

"Good work, Gemini." Angel laughed, and that was a whole new level of terror. "Who would have guessed that _you_ are your own weakness!"

The Emerald Knight finally caught his footing. He looked back, seeing Happy frozen, and Hibiki basically unconscious. He had to finish this, soon. Flare Star was useless, since they were so wet. And Lance Fader was out. Sure, it would drain he and Angel's magic for a handful of seconds, but that wouldn't be enough time to trudge through the river to get her.

Then he saw that bits of his armor were beginning to glow a vibrant green. He looked at his hands. Of course. The reason why he performed so well against Vildaldus. Because Juvia was there to combine her water with his lightning.

He was going to put that to use again.

He raised his lance up high, "Swords of Retribution!" He sent the swords sailing forward, homing in on their targets.

The doppelganger laughed, "You completely missed!"

The Emerald Knight smiled, "I wasn't aiming for you."

"Hmm?" He looked back, seeing his owner with quite a few bloody slash marks all over her.

Angel covered some of her wounds, flipping a strand of hair out of her face. It almost looked a pinkish color from the blood, "Gemini, your time has come and gone." She grasped for their key and swiped it closed, "But I need to finish this battle." She grabbed Caelum's handle and stepped forward, looking like an angel who escaped the pits of hell.

"Ah, you're too weak to keep two gates open now, it seems. This battle has worn you out." The Emerald Knight said, breathing quite heavily himself. A single tear welled up in his eye, every time he was hit, it felt like someone stomped on Miranda's grave. Not to mention all the torment Aries had to go through too. He wanted revenge. He wanted to do something for her. Do something by himself so he could finally prove himself as a knight, and so he could finally be deemed worthy of his guild. Angel bared her teeth and rushed forward to stab right through his armor.

More parts of his armor began to glow, lightning crackled off of him, to the point where the river itself began to exude a bright green color. His face twisted into one of anger, as veins bulged all over his forehead, "Stay your hand, wingless mangy wretch! You will receive judgement!" He said, as ominous storm clouds began to roll over the otherwise peaceful sky.

She was shocked at the output of energy in the air, "W-What is this…what have you done!?" She demanded, her eyes crazed and terrified.

Lightning struck from all of the newly formed storm clouds. The accelerated amount of lightning was alarming, as was the fact that every single lightning bolt was a vibrant green in color. The Emerald Knight raised a lance up high, catching a nearby green lightning bolt. Angel had thought that it would put him out of his misery. But it was his _intention_ to catch it. This only upset the electricity crackling off his armor even more. The river bubbled and foamed, clearly not pleased with the disturbances in nature, and the sky was pitch black now, as if it were nighttime.

"Storm of Heavens!" He roared, his arm shook as it absorbed the lightning bolt from the sky.

She scrambled back, closing the gate to her last spirit, "No, no…no, no, no…." She started laughing, clearly she was beyond sane, "No, no, no! You can't! I don't…I don't need to prove myself to them! To those dogs!" She yelped as lightning struck the ground next to her. "No…" She resolved, "No, no, you're just a waste of my time! An absolute waste! You don't deserve Aries, Caelum, any of it! This was an absolute waste! My last moments will be spent in sin, but sin of worth! Not this putrid filth of a fight you'll call a victory! _I simply won't have it!_ "

His face turned red with rage, "Absorption Chain Link!" He held his shield out. The lightning from his lance travelled through his glowing armor, towards the shield. The shield glowed bright green, firing out a huge wave of electrical discharge, like a giant ion cannon. The electrical upset consumed most of the river, causing electrified water to spill all over the place, as the sailing bright green laser headed straight for Angel.

She tumbled back, holding her arms in front of her face. She whimpered like a girl, tears pooling in her eyes as all her resolve left her. As soon as it reached her, she let out a shocking screech that was likely heard for miles. The pitch sounded nothing like her own voice, and was strangely heart wrenching. Her body was completely fried as she splashed in the shallow water, which soon rushed back down the gully with vigor.

A sharp crack was heard as the Emerald Knight lost most of his balance. The clouds cleared away, and lightning faded. The Emerald Knight could barely stand. His spine was either shattered or close to it. He wheezed and fell back, trying to balance himself. So was the price of using the storm of heavens.

He slowed his breathing a bit, still contemplating on what he had just done. Did the girl from the Oración Seis even survive that? There was no telling immediately. He had no time to move around now unless it was absolutely necessary. But at least now Aries and the others were free. Now he had to focus on getting their keys, checking Hibiki's wellbeing, and seeing if he could thaw Happy out. Flare Star might come in handy for that.

He smiled, despite all the literal blood, sweat, and tears all over him. He showed her that no one would ever question Miranda's legacy again.

* * *

 **A/N:** So the Emerald Knight finally has a finishing move! (Though mobility seems to be optional after using it…uh-oh). Let's hope he has time to recover that off and participate in the rest of the arc! Until next time!


	59. Chapter 59

**A/N:** Here's chapter fifty-nine! Lots of stuff going on in this chapter. (Lots more going on than I remember, at least). Let's see how long it takes for the Emerald Knight to find Wendy, shall we?

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

He continued standing in the river, feeling the water slowly rush by his legs. He looked around. Natsu was still sick on a raft, Happy was frozen, and Hibiki was most likely unconscious. And it was up to the Emerald Knight to save them all. The only problem was that he was going to be moving at a snail's pace to do it.

The stones behind him suddenly lurched, the sound of labored breathing and wheezing was heard as he turned over his shoulder and saw Angel standing once again. Her hair was a mess and her clothes were tattered and torn beyond repair. Yet there was a wide grin on her face, one of her eyes seemed unable to open. "We will not…lose…" Her voice was a dry rasp, "The Oracion Seis…cannot lose!" She screeched, grabbing her chisel spirit by the handle and lifting it up to fire at him.

The Emerald Knight couldn't have looked more spooked even if a ghost appeared in front of him, "You…what…how?" He sputtered, practically immobile, "You weren't supposed to survive that!" He hissed.

Her dark eyes were bloodshot, the other peeled open, "I'm not going to hell without dragging you down with me!" She fired her cannon.

The bright beam fired, lighting up the path in front of it. It landed on the tree blocking Natsu's raft as well, blowing it to dust and setting Natsu back in motion.

However, the Emerald Knight remained unscathed.

Angel dropped the spirit. It dissolved into the spirit realm. "W-What…" She quivered, "…it missed…?"

The Emerald Knight practically saw his life flash before his eyes. Sure, the laser could have just wounded him, but he was a stationary target. It could have killed him, had it pierced the right angle. He fell back in the water, safe and satisfied, for now.

Angel's eyes slowly closed as her legs gave out beneath her. _My prayer…_ Her head dropped back, her white hair framing her face like a halo. _…is to vanish far away in the sky…_ The water splashed around her body, sweeping her blood away with it. _…like an angel…_

The Emerald Knight was a bit more relaxed now. Hopefully this time, she wouldn't wake up.

It was then that the Emerald Knight noticed that the only thing tethering Natsu to where he was situated was now destroyed.

He looked back, craning his injured neck as far as it would allow him. Sure enough, Natsu was floating down the river at quite the frightening speed. "Natsu! I'll be right there!" The Emerald Knight more or less jerked his weight forward, letting the water carry him towards the raft.

"Urp…" Natsu said, still completely immobile.

The Emerald Knight's eyes widened, "Rapids? There were rapids here?" He asked, as he and Natsu would get jolted by the strikes of the uneven layout of the speedy river.

This was his only hope. He had to time one of the jumps just right to get himself over the raft. He used a few of the jumps as practice until he finally landed on the raft alongside Natsu. "Alright, I've got you." He remained at Natsu's side. Then he looked ahead, "No…" He said.

Ahead of them was a waterfall, the drop looked quite steep, worrying the Emerald Knight considerably.

He narrowed his eyes. If he defeated the likes of Angel, then a _waterfall_ wasn't going to kill him. Not here and now. He prepared for the jump, grabbing the vulnerable Natsu and making sure to land on his armored back to cushion most of the fall, at least for Natsu.

Even with armor, the Emerald Knight felt his spine scream in pain as his back was met with the water. Luckily, this stream was a bit calmer, so they were eventually safety transferred to the shore.

Brain meanwhile grimaced in his cave hideout as another one of his black tattoos faded away, "No…impossible…they defeated Angel too?" He frowned, looking out towards the mouth of the cave, towards the light that would soon be no more, "No matter, your death was not in vain." He said, "The purge of all light will begin very shorty!"

Elsewhere, still in the river, Angel rolled her eyes, "I'm not dead, you know…"

* * *

The forest seemed lively and beautiful, the perfect temperature, the perfect amount of sunlight filtering through the leaves. But Erza didn't have time to celebrate nature.

 _Jellal is alive._ Her boots sounded heavy against the ground as she closed her eyes and saw him there, that dark grin on his face, the greed in his eye.

She grit her teeth and flashed her eyes open. _How…why, why a place like this? It doesn't add up…_

The next time she blinked, she saw him again, when they were both younger, when his hands were tied above his head, suspending him in the air, whip lashings all over his body covered in blood.

Her look softened. All the optimistic smiles he gave her. The jokes, the whispers, the escape plans. The hugs, the held hands. The sacrifices he made for her.

She ran a little faster as she remembered his laugh.

 _What am I even supposed to feel when I see him again?_

* * *

"What's that?" Jura asked, "You're saying that Nirvana is magic that can change people's personalities?"

"Exactly that." Hoteye said, as the duo kept traversing through the forest, "The first step is the black and white light change those with weak and teetering loyalties to the opposite side."

"So…judging by that…you were on the edge of light and darkness?"

"When one is consumed by greed, they'll do anything in their power to obtain it. Legality no longer becomes an object."

"So, there's a chance you may revert back."

Hoteye shook his head, "It was for my brother. I only wanted money so I could find my brother…" He smiled, "Talking with you now…it reminds me of all that time we used to spend together."

"Really? So you're saying that I remind you of your brother?"

"Heh, heh…" He chuckled, "Well…you look like the potatoes my brother and I used to eat all those years ago."

"A potato?!"

"Now, shall we stop Brain and his guild, in the name of love."

"…sure thing…"

* * *

It was clear that Midnight was growing bored. What, with only two flunkies from Blue Pegasus, he wanted more. He wanted to snuff out all the light guilds who were interfering with his father's plans. "This is dull. Surely there's someone left for me. Someone worth destroying."

* * *

Carla felt that the edge of a canyon was as safe as she could get with her Dragon Slayer.

Wendy on the other hand looked miserable, her arms around her legs. Her eyes were a little red and puffy from crying, "I wish I never came here."

"You must stop saying things like that." Carla insisted, "I know it's…very dangerous and frightening, but it's an experience. As a Dragon Slayer especially, you're going to need to adapt to high-pressure scenarios."

"Well, I mean—"

"Besides, negative emotions only put you at risk."

"All I did was abandon my team…" She bit her lip, "I'm hopeless."

"You didn't abandon them. You wouldn't have been helpful at the time anyway."

"Well, I need to be helpful!" Wendy exclaimed, "I'm just the weak link, aren't I?"

"Child." Carla insisted, "If you hadn't come, Erza would be dead."

Wendy pouted, resting her head on her knees. "Okay. But they wouldn't have found Nirvana."

Carla turned her head to try and make eye contact with Wendy, "Why was it you seemed so happy to see Jellal?" When Wendy didn't offer a response, Carla persisted, "Who is he, exactly? You told me he saved your life, and yet, I've never actually heard the full story."

"I thought I told you."

"That isn't the case."

She looked back up at the clouds, "It was seven years ago. When the Sky Dragon Grandeeney vanished and I was lost and alone…" She closed her eyes so she could imagine it again. "That was when Jellal saved me." She saw him standing over her, smiling, donning a somewhat prepared set of adventurer's gear. "Well, he didn't…exactly rescue me…he was lost too…" Her eyes peered open briefly, "But he stayed with me for about a month. One day…he mentioned something really strange….I can't remember much of the conversation, but I remember the word 'anima'."

"Anima?" Carla asked

"I was confused too. He said that wherever he was going was too dangerous for me, so he took me to a nearby guild that welcomed me, Cait Shelter."

"Then, what happened to him?" Carla asked, still seeming a bit lost with the end of Wendy's story.

"I never saw him again." Her eyes trailed down off the cliff's edge. "After that, I heard about a member of the Magic Council who looked just like Jellal. Mostly…bad things…about what he had stated and done…" Carla looked a little saddened, "But when I knew him, he was so nice…" Wendy looked up towards her companion, "He was friendly and kind, he held my hand when I felt scared…"

Carla was silent as Wendy looked back out at the clouds. "I wonder if he…just…forgot about me…"

* * *

As dust kicked up around Erza's feet, the wind became something unnatural, something that forced her to stop and hold her arms up. She grit her teeth and peered an eye open through the dirt, gasping as it cleared.

Her eyes dilated and all the color swam from her face, her lips parted. Even as the breeze was dying, it tossed her scarlet locks around her face.

It finally seemed as though act two was ready to commence. Hyper magical weapon of destruction? Check. Erza right in the middle of it? Check. Jellal behind it all? Check. Jellal giving Erza a cold, hardened stare? Check.

"Erza…" Cobra muttered to himself, not too far away, though keeping himself hidden behind a boulder, "She's been cured? Damn it all…how did I not notice her coming in? Crap, it must be all the noise Nirvana's making as it wakes up." He said, "I can't let her kill Jellal until we get Nirvana mobile first…"

Her expression slowly melted into worry, "…Jellal…"

"Erza."

Out of all one-thousand questions rattling through her head, she picked one she knew he should be able to answer, "What are you doing here?" She tried to make her voice sound as strong as possible.

"I don't know." He said, sounding somewhat defiant, only adding, "Erza." At the end to soften it. "Erza." He said again, looking at the ground, "That name is the only thing I remember!"

Erza's eyes hardened in pained confusion, " _What?_ "

"Would you please tell me…" He stuttered, "Would you please tell me who I am?" He asked, "Do you know who I'm supposed to be? Who is this 'Erza'? And who am I? I can't remember anything!"

"No way…" Cobra's jaw fell open, "He really lost all his memories?!"

Her expression softened again. She took a step forward, "Jellal—"

"Don't come any closer!" Jellal held a hand out, a golden explosion pelting Erza in the face. She was resolute, aside from a mild splattering of blood on her face, she kept walking forward, "D-D-Don't come any closer!" He attacked her again.

"Then you come to me." Erza declared, the smoke clearing as she stood there, her hands balled in fists, "Come to me, Jellal. I am Erza!"

When Jellal stood still, she closed her eyes and spoke further, "Your name is Jellal. At one time, you and I were friends. But…you…lost your way…you desecrated the dead, betrayed your friends and destroyed the council…" She trailed off, then grit her teeth, "You murdered someone in cold blood…" Her eyes were lively and vivacious as she faced him, on the verge of screaming, "If you think you can escape your sins by forgetting them, I will stab my sword through your heart myself!" Her chest heaved, "Come here! Stand before me!"

He swallowed hard, "I…hurt my friends…?" He teared up, "Why…? How could I? What have I done…? Can I even make up for it now?"

Erza stood like a statue, all emotion fleeing her chest. _Is this even the same Jellal…?_

* * *

The Emerald Knight stared at the sky, all he could do at this point was lay on the ground. "Ugh…where am I?" He heard Natsu's voice.

The Emerald Knight smiled, "Back to your senses, I see."

"Jellal!" Natsu fumed, "I gotta get to Nirvana, fast!" He started to run off, but then he stopped and turned back, "Hey…uh…Ant…how come you're just lying there?"

"My spine is nearly broken."

"Whoa…don't say it casually like that! Jeez…" Natsu bent down to help him up, "When the heck did that happen?"

"It was to defeat Angel of the Oración Seis." The Emerald Knight said, "I used Storm of Heavens. It…basically turns my spine into a lightning rod."

"That sounds so cool!" Natsu grinned, patting the Emerald Knight's back, "And hey, you beat one of the Oración Seis! I'm proud of ya!"

The Emerald Knight flinched at the back patting, feeling blood trickle up his throat. Though Natsu's compliment made him ignore most of the pain, however. To gain recognition from Natsu was no small feat, considering that he was always the one lagging behind on their team when it came to their accomplishments in battle, "You don't recall seeing Wendy anywhere, do you?"

"I don't recall much of anything, considering I was puking my guts out on a raft for an hour or two."

He nodded, "You'll have to help me walk until we find her. I can't move on my own."

"Sure thing, Ant." Natsu grinned, "You saved my butt back there! I owe ya!"

He gave a small smile back, "Well, I'm sure after walking me around for a few minutes, we'll consider it even."

"Hey…wait a minute." He said, "Weren't Happy and Erza with you? And like…a lot of other people?"

His expression went solemn, "We were separated." He said, "I…I tried to keep everyone safe." He said, "I believe I mostly succeeded."

Natsu looked ahead, "Reuniting can wait, we gotta take Nirvana out."

An abrupt rustling was heard behind them. They all turned around to see none other than Sherry pull her way through the brush, looking rather defeated and battered.

The Emerald Knight looked surprised. The only reason he was able to stand or even use his legs at a mediocre level was because Natsu had an arm wrapped around him, "Sherry…" He started, "I haven't seen you in a while. Is something wrong? Are one of the Oración Seis after you?"

"Hey, isn't this that chick from Galuna Island?" Natsu asked.

"Yes, Natsu…we saw her at the briefing…" The Emerald Knight deadpanned.

"…wizards of Fairy Tail…" She smirked, "I've found you…"

The Emerald Knight narrowed his eyes, "Something's not right."

She raised her hands, laughing maniacally as wooden arms heaved themselves from the earth and lunged for Natsu and the Emerald Knight.

Sherry was partially frozen from behind, ruining her concentration and making her miss by a wide margin, "Have you gone full-on nuts?" Gray asked.

"It must be Nirvana…" The Emerald Knight said.

"You two alright?" Gray asked.

"Let go of me, dammit!" Sherry raged, "I'll have to make sure you stay dead this time! All in the sake of Lyon!"

"She's crazy." Gray said, "Ever since that light went off, she started attacking me."

"Pfft, whatever. I owe you a beating or two for what you did to me." Natsu raised a fist in the air.

"Huh?"

"That wasn't Gray." The Emerald Knight said, "Angel had a Celestial Spirit that could copy wizards."

"I must avenge Lyon!" Sherry thrashed beneath Gray.

"Avenge me for what?" A refined voice asked, when everyone turned to see Lyon, "Honestly, I thought you would have a little more faith in me than that."

"Lyon…!?" Sherry's eyes glistened with tears.

"Ha!" Gray said, "I knew Lyon was too stubborn to go down."

Lyon smiled, "Separating the bomb from myself was difficult, and it took me some time to recover, but I'm ready to lend aid."

The Emerald Knight smiled, "Quite an impressive feat."

Lyon's smile grew, "I didn't know you offered handicap services." He looked at Natsu.

"Shut up!" Natsu snapped.

Sherry's eyes watered as she bit her lip and started sobbing tears of joy, "Thank…goodness…"

The others watched as a dark shadow flew out of Sherry's body, "Huh…so she _was_ possessed by something." Natsu said.

The ground started to shake. The original pillar of light began to intensify in its shining, "What the heck is that?" Natsu asked.

The Emerald Knight shuddered, his sense of balance already poor enough, "Nirvana must be gaining power."

Meanwhile, Carla hopped up into the air and took flight, watching the light float through the air, "The black light turned to white?"

"What does that mean?" Wendy asked, getting to her feet, "Do you think that's good?"

Carla waited a moment or so, a little weary, "I'm unsure, child."

Happy was also busy at work, trying to move Hibiki's downed body to a safer place, "Natsu…" He said, "Wherever you are…be safe…"

* * *

"You having no memories checks out." Cobra said, figuring that he might as well give up the ghost and reveal himself, "Cause I can't hear your thoughts."

"Cobra…" Erza growled, turning and looking over her shoulder.

"How the hell did you get all the way down here?" Cobra scowled. Cubellios quickly wrapped herself around Cobra, flickering her tongue out in Erza's general vicinity. She would pounce again, should the swordswoman try anything funny. At least, that's what Cubellios's eyes suggested, "And why'd you break the seal, huh?"

"While I was sleeping…I heard voices…I presumed they belonged to your guild." Jellal said, "They said…'take control of Nirvana'…from there…I knew what had to be done…I could detect its magic power and its location…" Jellal met Cobra's gaze, "Nirvana is a very dangerous magic, something that shouldn't fall into the wrong hands." He said, "The only way to destroy it…was to first break its seal."

"What?!" Cobra's jaw dropped.

"To destroy it…?" Erza asked, astounded.

Jellal nodded, "I've sabotaged it with a square of self-destruction. In moments, the precious magic power source Nirvana will explode!" He said, and the bright light from the base of the pillar was now inscribed with a huge purple highly-complex magic circle.

"You bastard…you couldn't have!" Cobra growled, "Damn it!"

"Only I know the code to undo it." Jellal said, as Cobra ran past him.

"Jellal…" Erza said softly, looking into the face of the man that stood before her. He looked so pained, so confused, and she was no different. Out of all her predictions of what he would be like, this was certainly not one of them.

"Damn it…" Cobra typed on the magic circle in front of him, completely frazzled, "This crap's too high-leveled for me! But if I don't stop it, it's going to explode!" Fed up with being outsmarted by the designs of the magic circle, he wheeled around, "Jellal! You better tell me the damn cancel code if you know what's good for you!"

Jellal gave a small smile, a square of self-destruction forming on himself too. "I sense a gentleness in that name…Erza…brightness, a feeling of warmth…" He said, "I'm sure you still hate me. It's only the natural thing to do, in this situation. I will set you free from your hatred, Erza. It won't burden your heart anymore."

"Y-You…." She was at a total loss for words, a suppressing sense of sadness falling on her shoulders.

"I can't go to you…I cannot face judgement…I am unworthy…"

"He didn't…" Cobra started.

"Now…I will free you from Jellal…" He fell back, "Your hatred…your pain…I will take it to the grave…"

"He set one on his body too!" Cobra growled, "He'll die just like Nirvana will!"

"Now you're free…Erza…" Jellal collapsed on the ground.

Erza felt her heart skip a beat as she lunged forward, " _Jellal!_ "

* * *

 **A/N:** Heavy with the Jerza in this chapter. (Not that it's bad, I certainly don't mind the pairing). I got to be Cobra too, which is amazing, because he's one of my favorites. I'll be sure to give him some more screen time in the future. Thanks for reading! Until next time!


	60. Chapter 60

**A/N:** Now we finally got to chapter sixty! It's time for more Oración Seis shenanigans. And for Natsu vs. Cobra to finally start! I hope you all enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

"I don't believe this…" Cobra fumed, "Does he really think he can take that cancel code with him to the grave?"

Erza's boots scraped against the rough floors as she ran forward and fell to her knees with a painful amount of force, landing by Jellal's side. She grasped his shirt in desperate fists and heaved his body up towards her to try and meet his eye, "I will not allow it! I will not allow you to die like this! You have crimes to pay for!" She shrieked as his eyes wavered, "You have to remember them!" She nearly throttled the poor man, "Don't think you can just die and take your crimes with you! You have to pay for them, you bastard!" She spat, holding his shoulders firmly as she let him hit the ground, tears cascading down her cheeks, " _Live with the guilt!_ "  
Jellal was shaking. Erza's grimace melted a touch, before it twisted into more pain when he stopped quaking and offered no response.

" _Jellal!_ "

"Erza…" He cowered, shivering immensely. It made his stint in the Tower of Heaven look practically unimaginable given how meek he was acting now, "Why…why are you crying…?"

She quivered, so caught up in her rage, she was shocked to see the drops of tears on her gauntlets. Her bottom lip trembled and her grip around his tunic lightened up as he smiled.

"Do I really mean that much to you…?"

She screamed with blind fury, grasping his coat and pulling him up again, "Pull yourself together!" She demanded.

"What is the meaning of this?" A familiar deep voice asked.

Cobra's eyes widened, "Brain…"

Brain walked past the three of them, examining the magic sequence in front of him, "A square of self-destruction?"

"Jellal went and planted it on Nirvana!" Cobra said, "This ain't good! We finally get Nirvana for ourselves…only for it to be blown sky high…"

Brain chuckled, "You may relax, Cobra." He said, "Let me show you all why my code name is 'Brain.'" He said, using his staff to interact with the blinding pillar of white light. "In the past, I have worked for the Ministry of Magical Departments. I was responsible for creating myriads of new forms of magic and spells. One of them is the square of self-destruction." He looked back at Jellal briefly, "That is where you learned it from, my young pupil, or have you already forgotten?" He gave a small grin. With his free hand, he began to type on the magic circle, quicker and much more cohesive than Cobra, "I don't even need a cancel code! Being the creator of said magic, I can disarm it myself!"

"No…" Jellal said weakly from the ground.

"Yes!" Cobra's eyes grew with excitement.

Brain turned around, facing the group, "Hmm?" He looked at Jellal, "You put a square of self-destruction on yourself as well?" He mused. "You must have been adamant in taking the cancel code with you to hell."

"The Etherion completely wiped out his memory, his head's all mush." Cobra grinned, "He doesn't remember who he really is or all the damage he's caused."

Brain started a slow, dark laugh, that only got louder as it went on, "How precious!" He said, "Oh, how precious! You're useless to me like this, you pitiful wretch, yet you've done me proud by locating the ancient city at last!" He gave one final tap from his staff against the interface, "I claim Nirvana for the Oración Seis!"

Erza requipped a sword, sprinting forward, "I will not allow it!"

"Awaken! Nirvana!" Brain held his arms out, causing the intense bright light to being pouring out in the entire room, and for the ground to shake tremendously. "Reveal your true form!" He said, as the cavern more or less began to cave in on itself.

"I can hear it!" Cobra said, a blissful, yet sinister smile on his face, "Our future! The extinction of the light once and for all!"

As the ground around them erupted, Erza reached a hand out, a desperate look on her face, "Jellal!" She cried, pleading for his attention so he could ground her.

"Erza!" Jellal reached back, a similar amount of desperateness on his confused, blank face.

The pillar of white expanded more and more, until the entire mass of earth they were on rose towards the sky, being supported by six stony legs. At the center was an old, ancient stone city. The entire new form of Nirvana resembling some sort of huge, monstrous arachnid, made entirely out of stone. "Finally! Finally it's mine! The ultimate weapon capable of extinguishing the light once and for all!" Brain held his arms up, "Hyper-Reversal Magic! Nirvana!" He gave a loud, booming laugh, "Trust and solidarity are the light guilds greatest weapons! And now…they will be rendered useless!"

Erza's hands were both full, one with a stone from the pillar, another with something softer, squishier. She looked down, the world lurching beneath her, but not because she was afraid of falling. She was afraid of dropping Jellal.

His eyes were lively and terrified and that pressure seemed to consume her head from the back to the front. She summoned every ounce of strength she had to pull herself up the moving pillar, to at least bring Jellal to safety with her. Her body just couldn't make it up, "Jellal, you have to cancel the spell you cast on yourself." Her hand slid and her eyes went frantic as she tried to fix her grasp, "You have a duty to live! I don't give a damn how weak you are, you must overcome that!"

Her arms weren't going to do her any favors, so she swung her body out with as much momentum as she could, hooking her leg on the ledge and pulling them up, slowly but surely.

Jellal looked surprised that she was even capable of saving both of them from the long fall down, "But…but I failed to stop Nirvana! It's…it's all over now…"

She gave a small smile, something hopeful, "Nothing is over. Just wait and see." She said, as the pair saw the rest of Fairy Tail climbing up one of the legs, the duo from Cait Shelter at another, and Jura and Hoteye at a third one, "None of us have given up, and we never will." She looked over at him with a teary smile, "You have to live to see…to see the good and the bad."

* * *

"So…?" Slade coughed, "You punks gonna watch me all day, or what…? Don't you have your prima-donna Angel to report to?"

The dark guild wizards chuckled, "Don't be stupid." One of them said, "We can't just _leave_ our prisoner out in the open. We'll wait for Lady Angel's return."

Slade looked at his surroundings. Sure enough, he was covered in more bruises than he was before, most likely due to mouthing off to the enemy. He eyed his sword, still sheathed in the scabbards on his back, "Still feel like it's a missed opportunity to take my swords from me."

"Pfft, so what? You're tied up…it's not like you can use 'em."

"Wouldn't be so sure about that."

The dark guild wizards snarled, "Shut up, you punk! You're outmatched, just admit it!"

"Yeah!" Another wizard said, "Soon all the official guilds will be toast!"

"I can't wait to see what happens to Titania Erza! Queen of the Fairies!" A third said, "Maybe we'll take her back as a prisoner too!"

"Ooh, I'd like that." The first one said.

Slade frowned, "I think I'm starting to figure out why you guys aren't allowed to fight on the front lines like the Oración Seis…"

"Shut up!" The first nearby dark mage punched him in the face.

Slade flinched, then grinned as his swords began to glow purple.

"Hey…hey, what's happening…?" The second wizard asked.

"Why are his swords glowing, and hissing?" The third asked.

"I don't freaking know!" The first wizard said.

Slade's grin grew. Sure, it took a while to churn the poison in Slade's swords, but the result was well worth it. The sound of droplets hitting the ground could be heard, as a purple sizzling liquid secreted from Slade's swords.

"Is…is that _acid?!_ " The first wizard asked.

Slade drew his swords, now freed, his smile was full on slasher, "I'm surprised you idiots never bothered to learn my magic, either…"

The first dark wizard swallowed hard, "What…what are we all nervous for?" He asked, "There's like…thirty of us…and one of him! Let's charge!"

Slade narrowed his eyes as they all came charging, holding his dual blades firmly, "I may not get along with everyone in the guild…but as a Blue Pegasus wizard, I don't take kindly to thugs thinking they can have their way with women like a sleezeball!"

He dashed forward, knowing he only had to cut his enemies once, given that poison would do the rest for him. Especially in this case, as his swords were charged up, and literally _steaming_ with venom.

It wasn't long before the battlefield was covered in nothing but blood and purple goop. The once proud dark guild who worked under Angel was now a collection of unconscious bodies. Some of them were sliced open like jack-o-lanterns. Some of them were vomiting up poison, and some of them were knocked out completely.

Slade held his sword up to the last opponent, ironically it was the first dark wizard who was beating him around for the past half day, "This is just a preview, for what Angel's going to get." Slade warned.

The wizard swallowed hard, "No…please…spare me…I don't want to end up like _them!_ Please…we didn't mean it…we surrender!"

Slade growled, "If you twerps can't even handle _me_ …then you're about a-thousand years away from thinking you could ever survive a fight against Erza!" He reared his blade back. A piercing scream followed.

All the blood that covered Slade was someone else's. Swords sheathed and arms crossed, he kept walking through the forest, well aware that he had quite the game of catch-up to play. _Alright…where's Cobra? Gotta find him. Gotta save Erza._

He gasped when he felt the ground shake, and then his eyes nearly burst out of their sockets, "What the…what the hell is that thing?!" He asked, "Some kinda…spider…city…thing. Holy crap, that can't be Nirvana…can it?" He asked, sprinting towards it, "Whatever it is, I gotta help!"

* * *

"You all go on." Lyon said, holding the unconscious Sherry, "If anyone can stop Nirvana, it's Fairy Tail."

Gray nodded, leading the way up the behemoth.

Natsu seemed to have a different countenance. Carrying the Emerald Knight was one thing, but carrying him up a large stony leg was a challenge in itself.

And this was _before_ motion sickness kicked in.

"Urp…" Natsu said, completely letting go of the Emerald Knight.

"Ant!" Gray reached back and barely caught the Emerald Knight's hand, "What's going on, how come you can't move?"

"To make a long story short…I sacrificed my mobility to defeat one of the Oración Seis." The Emerald Knight said, "I'll need Wendy to reverse it…"

"Crap…" Gray grimaced, trying to pull the Emerald Knight, "Damn it Natsu, snap outta it!"

"It's…it's a moving vehicle…" Natsu said weakly, "I…I don't feel so good…"

"Just pretend you're on a giant octopus or something!"

"Octopuses aren't in the forest…"

"Just hang on!"

Given how sick Natsu was, and that they were practically climbing up a ninety degree angle, Natsu fell off.

"Natsu!" Gray and the Emerald Knight shouted at the same time.

Natsu kept falling, only to be saved by a blue blur.

The Emerald Knight's expression relaxed once he saw who the savior was, "Just in the nick of time, Happy!"

"Aye!" Happy smiled.

"Happy…" Natsu said, finally perking up, "My hero…"

"How about it, Natsu?" Happy asked, "Feels good to ride with me, right?"

"Hell yeah!" Natsu grinned, "This is the best!"

"You guys keep going!" Gray said, "Ant and I will find another way on foot!"

"Right." Natsu said.

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

* * *

In the center of the city was a grand arena of stone. Though it acted more as a control room, for Brain at least. He and Cobra were standing in the worn-down colosseum. Cobra's smile still hell-bent and blissful, "You really did it, Brain! You got us Nirvana!" He looked around, "This is great, this ancient city will be ours, at last! Isn't it amazing, Cubellios?" He smiled at his snake, who gave a soft hiss and nuzzled him.

Brain held his arms out, "Observe, Cobra! Take in what lies before you!" He said, "It is a city of ancients indeed!" He said, sure enough, said ruins were at least hundreds of years old, "This is Nirvana's true form. And within the King's Hall, I may move and control the city to however which end I desire!"

"Move?" Cobra asked, "So…we're going somewhere?"

"Yes, indeed." Brain smiled, "We cannot reach our target from where we are. Our first target is close at hand. One of the light guilds."

Cobra snickered, "Finally, so it begins."

"Yes, you may call it the extinction of light, once and for all." Brain said, then he commanded, "Forward, my ancient city! And transform the light into darkness!"

An annoying yell was heard from the distance. Naturally, Cobra was the first to pick up on it. He looked at the sky, seeing a man composed of flames being flown around by a blue cat heading straight for them.

"Not if I got something to say about it first!" Natsu screamed.

"You…" Brain scowled.

Natsu spat out a humungous column of fire, destroying an entire section of the King's Hall.

"Cobra! Keep him away from the controls!" Brain said.

"Right, let's go, Cubellios!" Cobra said. Cubellios hissed and went in to bite Natsu.

Natsu only barely avoided the attack, "Thanks Happy." Natsu said,

"Aye." Happy nodded.

Natsu fumed, clenching his fists, "I'm gonna burn that thing to a crisp for what it did to Erza."

Cobra leapt in the air, landing on Cubellios's back, Cubellios grew purple bat-like wings and took flight, immediately flying to the same level as Natsu and Happy.

"What?!" Natsu's jaw dropped, "Your snake can fly?!"

"I mean…your cat can fly…" Cobra said, "Besides…I heard you were useless on moving vehicles…what's the deal?"

"Happy is _not_ a moving vehicle! He's a friend!" Natsu fumed.

"That's right." Happy said.

"So that's why you haven't puked yet." Cobra said, snickering, "Because you can't afford to be on Nirvana itself, can ya?"

"Out of my way!" Natsu raised a fist in the air, "I gotta stop Nirvana!"

Cobra laughed, "If you think you can, go ahead and try!" He said, he and Cubellios both taking a more offensive stance, "But I won't let you get anywhere near Brain!"

Natsu looked down at where Brain was by the King's Hall, "So he's the one driving this thing?" He asked.

"Today, Dragon Slayer." Cobra held a taunting hand out.

"Pfft, whatever, then I'll just fight Brain." He said, Happy flying him around Cobra.

Cubellios's tail lashed out, smacking Natsu with her tail with such force, than it knocked all the wind out of him for a few moments.

"He's reading out moves…" Happy said.

"What?" Natsu frowned, there was no other way that Cobra could both react and counter them so quickly.

"I can hear it! I can hear your movements!" Cobra smirked, "Come on, you think you're fight Brain, get real!" He said, "You can't even beat me!"

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Carla…"

"Forget about me…" The white cat insisted, catching her breath on the roof of what appeared to be an old abandoned city.

"But I'm worried…besides, why did you even take us out here this far?" Wendy asked, kneeling beside her companion.

"You're still chasing Jellal?" Carla sat up.

"W-What?" Wendy said, "Of course not! Well…uh…sort of…" Carla gave her a look. "I have to do something to stop this!" Wendy insisted, "I can't sit back and be useless!"

Carla gave the dragon-slayer a warm smile, then it faded and her ears went back, her eyes wide. Wendy looked a little nervous, "Carla? What's the matter?" She turned to see what Carla was looking at, gasping to see the giant spider-like abomination in the distance.

There was a long silence where they both sat still and watched.

"It has to be coincidence, right?" Wendy's voice trembled. "It has to…because…" Her eyes grew fearful, "It's…it's headed right for Cait Shelter…"

* * *

 **A/N:** It was nice to finally give Slade some well-deserved screen-time. Having him replace Ichiya is kind of a crap shoot. But, he appears a lot in the anime, so, I'm excited to milk off of that. And I'm sure you all enjoy Slade more than him anyway. I'll see what I can do in terms of getting sixty-one and sixty-two up. Until next time!


	61. Chapter 61

**A/N:** Here's chapter sixty-one! Natsu continues his fight against Cobra, while meanwhile Ant wonders where the hell Wendy is…

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

"Damn it…" Natsu fumed, "We're never gonna get anywhere with him in our way…"

"Well, as a team, no one can beat us!" Happy said.

"Heh, heh, heh…" Cobra snickered, Cubellios giving a devilish hiss as well.

"Finish them, Cobra." Brain ordered from the King's Hall.

"Alright!" Cobra zoomed forward, "Lunchtime, Cubellios!"

Natsu barely avoided both the attack from Cobra and the follow-up from Cubellios. He reared a flaming fist back, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Cobra evaded the attack, all too easily as Cubellios's tail smacked Natsu in the face.

"You paying attention?" Cobra snickered with a large grin, as Natsu was getting helplessly smacked around by Cubellios, "I can hear your movements. None of your attacks can hit me."

Natsu was smacked around a bit more, until Cubellios devastated him with a strong, downward strike, "Now stay down!" Cobra yelled.

Natsu screamed as the ground was rapidly approaching, "Happy, you gotta fly!"

"I know!" Happy desperately tried to pull him up, succeeding only at the last minute. Even as Happy returned Natsu to the skies, they were constantly avoiding Cubellios's jaws. She pursued them with a vengeance, biting at them and only narrowly missing.

"Wait up, Happy." Natsu said, "Fly me in there." He nodded to a nearby building.

"Huh? Why?" Happy asked.

"Just hide me in there. We'll hit him with a surprise attack!" He whispered eagerly.

"Aye!" Happy smiled.

They suddenly took a corner, hiding within the corner of the interior of one of the rocky structures, "Here he comes…" Natsu said, a sneaky smile on his face, "Now!" He jumped out in the open, "Wait…what? Where is he?"

"I can hear you!" Cobra burst through the wall of the opposite side of the room, kicking Natsu in the face and knocking him back.

* * *

Given that the entire structure of Nirvana looked the same, it didn't take long for Gray and the Emerald Knight to get lost. "What even is this place?" Gray asked.

The Emerald Knight observed the worn-down buildings, as before, he was practically being carted around by Gray, "They look like ruins of some sort."

"That's exactly right." Hoteye said, "It is the city of illusions."

Jura smiled as the duo turned to see them, "I am grateful that the two of you are here."

"It's that old guy from Lyon's guild!" Gray said.

"And the Oración Seis!" The Emerald Knight half-unsheathed his lance.

"Be at ease." Jura said, "He's an ally now."

"It's a world full of love!" Hoteye held his arms out.

"An ally?" The Emerald Knight mimicked.

"Did the old guy use a spell or something to turn him good?" Gray wondered.

"This is the city where the Nirvit clan of the ancients once lived." Hoteye said, "There were wars all over the world, spanning from at least four-hundred years ago. The Nirvit, always neutral, grieved for the ailing world. So they developed a magic for restoring balance in the world." He explained, "A hyper-magic that would exchange light and darkness. They called it Nirvana, the Land of Peace."

"That's pretty ironic…" Gray said, "Calling it the Land of Peace…cause right now, it's being used for evil."

"It was most likely taken advantage of back then just as it is now." The Emerald Knight said.

"Ultimately, it cannot be helped." Jura said, "Strong forms of magic are bound to have side effects."

"No matter how it came to past, we're in trouble. We need to stop this behemoth from moving." Hoteye said, "We don't have a moment to spare."

"Well, duh!" Gray said.

"Do you know a way to stop it?" The Emerald Knight asked.

Hoteye nodded, "Brain will most likely be in the central King's Hall controlling it. While he is, he may not use any other magic. That is our best chance of attack."

"So wait, he's driving it?" Gray asked, "Where to?"

"…unfortunately I do not know his destination…"

"That's true." A sinister, mature voice said as Midnight warped in behind them, "I am the only one who's aware of father's plans."

"Midnight!" Hoteye said.

"It's the Oración Seis!" Gray frowned.

"Yes…the one who was always asleep." The Emerald Knight said, "I suppose it only makes sense, now that some of his comrades are down, he'll have to fight seriously."

"Hoteye…you dare betray father's wishes?" Midnight scowled.

"I have merely realized the error in Brain's ways." Hoteye said.

He narrowed his eyes, "The error of father's ways…you say? Hmm…I must simply be hearing things…"

"Hey…do you think…when he says 'father' like that…?" Gray started.

The Emerald Knight looked from Hoteye to Midnight, "I suppose if you look past the perpetual insanity, then perhaps there is a resemblance between the two…"

"One cannot switch over someone's heart with magic." Hoteye said, "However, weak hearts can be nurtured into strong ones."

The look on Midnight's face suggested that he was through with listening to Hoteye's idealistic preaching. He lashed a hand out, and a bright red wave of darkness followed, aimed at all of them.

The ground suddenly collapsed beneath Gray, Jura, and the Emerald Knight, and they all fell quite a few feet, "What? What the heck is this?" Gray asked.

"Hoteye just liquefied the ground below us to save our lives!" Jura said.

"You all need to head to the King's Hall immediately!" Hoteye said from above, "All of the Oración Seis are equal in power! I will take care of Midnight myself!" He said, launching a huge wave of mud at Midnight.

Midnight dematerialized around the wave, emerging unscathed, "You seriously intend to take me on?"

"A fight to the deaths between the Oración Seis?" Gray asked.

The Emerald Knight didn't really believe it either. Could Hoteye defeat Midnight, leaving only Brain and perhaps a subordinate or two left? It seemed too good to be true. Nevertheless, it was a seemingly perfect solution. The Emerald Knight was still only mobile just because he had Gray lug him around, so until he saw Wendy he could fight Midnight or Brain even if he wanted to.

"Sir Hoteye…" Jura said.

"Just go, hurry!" Hoteye said, then he smiled, "And…my true name is Richard."

Midnight's frown grew, like Hoteye had just committed a cardinal sin, "Revealing your true name to the enemy? How far you've fallen…Hoteye…"

* * *

Natsu growled as he missed for the umpteenth time with his Fire Dragon's Iron Fist. "Damn it…I can't land a hit on this guy!"

"Does he have magic that can read our moves?" Happy swallowed hard.

"No, it's hearing magic." Cobra said, making the duo jump, as they were surprised that Cobra was eavesdropping, "I can hear everything, even your innermost thoughts and strategies."

Natsu gave Cobra a blank stare. One that lasted minutes, to the point where Happy was wondering what the heck was going on.

Cobra burst out laughing, "Man…that's a good one!"

"Damn…so he can hear our thoughts." Natsu said.

"Wait…what joke did you think?" Happy asked.

"I'll tell ya when you're older." He said, "But this could be trouble."

"Wait, I have an idea." Happy exclaimed, whispering something in Natsu's ear.

Cobra crossed his arms, having no qualms with interrupting their little brainstorming session, "You're gonna _think_ about attacking from the right while really attacking from the left." He said, grinning as he got it right, judging by the surprised looks on their faces, "It's useless. Since I can hear your thoughts, there's no way you can win." Natsu growled, clenching his fists as his rage continued building. "Ah…trying to overcrowd your mind with ideas…huh? What's that? Three…four thoughts? I guess they ain't bad ideas or anything, but I can still hear them all."

"You're not playing fair!" Natsu screamed. He began to zoom forward, "If that's how it is, then I'm gonna attack straight on!"

"Aye!" Happy said.

Cobra looked positively bored as he dodged all the attacks, naming then all smugly as his smile grew, "Right hook…left kick…" He listed, "And a follow-up right jab…" He sighed, avoiding everything.

Until he was suddenly kicked in the gut.

Cobra lurched in pain, his stomach and clothes burned by the fire, "What the—"

He was hit a second time from behind, then a third time, and a fourth, and a fifth. Cobra coughed up blood at the flurry of fiery attacks, "This is impossible!" He said, his face in stupefied shock, "He isn't thinking anything!"

"Ah!" Natsu reared a flaming fist back once more.

Cobra caught it, his hand sizzling, but not for the reason Natsu thought. "Think you can beat me like that, punk?" He smirked, his trench coat billowing in the breeze, "Time to show you my offensive game…" He said. The arm catching Natsu's flaming fist and his skin in general began to transform. He was now covered in sleek purple scales, which oozed a horrid poison.

"Ah!" Natsu flew back, holding his fist, "Damn it… _he's_ poisonous too?"

"More than just that, buddy!" Cobra flew at him, taking the offensive now, he raked Natsu in the face with his poisoned claws. Natsu grimaced and held his face, Cobra's grin even looked more arrogant than it had before, "My poison causes your body to rot away with just one attack!"

Cobra's poison strikes were eventually countered by Natsu's flames. The two of them parried attacks for a few passing moments. Until Cobra backed away to regroup and utilize another strategy.

"Cubellios!" He commanded, and just like that his snake let out a huge cloud of toxins.

"Poison mist!" Happy gasped.

"Crap…" Natsu narrowed his eyes, ready to dodge it.

But it seemed the gas cloud wasn't meant for them. It was being _inhaled_ , by Cobra himself.

"He…h-he's _eating_ the poison?" Happy's eyes went wide.

"That's not good for you." Natsu said.

Cobra reared his head back, "Poison Dragon's…"

"A breath attack?" Natsu's jaw dropped.

"Then that means…" Happy started.

"Roar!" Cobra blasted out an intense wave of poison, hitting both Natsu and Happy at point blank range.

Neither of them looked good after the attack. Natsu looked around frantically as he was being dropped, "What's wrong, Happy?"

"I…I'm not feeling too good…Natsu…" Happy wheezed.

"Hey!" Natsu snapped as he was almost dropped, "Keep me aloft, at least!"

"I…I can't…I can't help it…"

Cobra laughed, "The Poison Dragon's Roar fills your body with toxins! In time you'll slow down, and then you'll die!" He snickered, "The second you took my breath attack like that, that's what cemented your defeat!"

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Natsu lunged at Cobra with two fiery whips, but Cobra easily avoided it.

"I heard that!"

"Damn it…" Natsu panted, running out of energy himself.

"Hmm…you're still fighting even though you took a blast of my poison…" Cobra said, "You old generation slayers are tough…"

"So you are a Dragon Slayer…" Natsu narrowed his eyes, "Let me guess…did the poison dragon leave on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year seven-seven-seven?"

"Pfft…there _is_ no poison dragon…I'm part of a new age of dragon slayer! They put a lacrima inside my body, full of dragon slayer magic."

"So he's just like Laxus…a second generation dragon slayer." Happy said, "He's not a _real_ dragon slayer."

"Real?" Cobra scoffed, "Like your supposed dragon is real…wake up…all the dragons are gone now."

That seemed to enrage Natsu more so than anything else, "Igneel is out there somewhere!"

"All the dragons are extinct! They're all wiped out!" Cobra crossed his two reptilian arms in front of himself, "Poison Dragon's Twin Fangs!" Two huge waves of poison gushed up and stuck Natsu and Happy, nearly knocking the duo out of the sky.

"N-No…" Natsu choked, severely weakened by the poison, "My…my body…it ain't moving…"

"The more attacks you get hit by, the quicker you'll die." Cobra scoffed, "I doubt you really have much time left."

"Natsu!" Happy cried, trying desperately to keep his friend aloft.

"Happy…" Natsu closed his eyes, "Drop me…"

"What?" Happy's eyes widened. "What…what do you mean…you can't even move!"

"That's the point. This move will end it."

"What? That doesn't make any sense!"

Cobra snickered from where he was standing. "What is it? A full power Fire Dragon's Roar? Did you forget that I can hear what you're thinking?"

"Now Happy!" Natsu shouted.

"Aye!" Happy reluctantly let him go.

"Pfft, it was harder to fight you when you weren't even thinking. It's over now." Cobra held his stance firmly.

"Fire Dragon's…" Natsu took a deep breath.

"Please…I can hear you!" Cobra's smirk grew, "What's your plan? A _widespread_ attack? One that'll hit me no matter what?" He leapt off Cubellios, landing behind Natsu, and making them both fall quicker, "But what if I'm behind you like this? Eh?" He taunted, "Won't hit me now, will it?" Natsu then felt the scalding pain of a scaly, poisonous hand on the back of his head, "Then I'll crush your skull!"

"Natsu! No!" Happy cried from the air.

Natsu let out a piercing yell. One that only got worse as the two of the made their unwanted, quick descent to the ground. The louder it got, the more it trembled the entire structure. Soon, everyone could hear the dragon's roar echoing amongst the ancient city of Nirvana.

Cobra trembled, hearing such a legendary beast call from within Natsu. He moved a hand to his head, blinking and grimacing, until the pain was too great for him to bear. "My ears!" He shrieked, losing complete control of the battle. While Natsu was scooped up by Happy, Cobra face-planted into the ground, bits of rock and blood sprayed in the air as he landed. It was hard to tell if kissing the bedrock made his horrid, newfound migraine worse or better.

"That was one loud yell…" Happy sighed.

"Yup." Natsu grinned, "His ears may have been his strength…but now they're his weakness…serves him right for messing with a _real_ Dragon Slayer."

"You realize if we don't find Wendy, we're in big trouble, right?" Happy asked.

Brain nearly dropped his staff from all the way in the King's Hall. "Impossible…" He said, "He defeated Cobra by _yelling?_ " He asked, "What sort of wizard is that boy?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Yes, I feel bad for Cobra. He's actually my favorite dragon slayer, though I'm sure I'll give him more opportunities to shine in the future. Actually, a lot of the characters who are my favorite are like, _slightly_ popular, but they never got the same scope of focus as a main character. (Cobra, Freed, Lyon, Sorano and Yukino). Don't worry, I have plans for all these characters and more, in the future. Thanks for reading!


	62. Chapter 62

**A/N:** Here's chapter sixty-two! I planned on updating these chapters a bit sooner, but…I got called into work…all my fellow employees are useless. Yadda, yadda, yadda. On a side note, I don't remember Brain getting his ass handed to him so quickly. (Right after Cobra, no less), but at least this means I'll get to be Zero soon.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

"I…I don't feel so well…" Happy said, falling to the ground with Natsu.

"Happy!" Natsu screamed, but it was too late, they both hit the ground. Luckily, unlike Cobra, they were only a few feet away from it.

"Crap…it's his poison…I don't feel good either…" Natsu said, "Urp…and it's a moving vehicle…" He said, referencing to the fact that now he was on Nirvana.

Hearing footsteps was not a good sign, given that they didn't belong to Natsu himself, or anyone else he could think of. Except for Cobra, who was now looming over him, "For the pride of the six demons…I have to take you down…" He reared a reptilian claw back, "Die!"

"Damn it…I can't…can't move…"

Cobra laughed, his eyes small and long gone, "Ha! Look at the old generation Dragon Slayers now!"

Cobra coughed up blood as he was hit by a powerful blast of dark green magic from behind. "That's enough Cobra." Brain said.

"Brain…w-what…what are you doing?" Cobra looked back. This sudden betrayal wasn't doing much for his burning headache.

"You may rest now, Cobra. You've done well." Brain smiled. _Humph! The Oración Seis has no need for insects who cannot even stand up to those in the light guilds. Why have one of this false dragon slayers, when I can have an original! You're pathetic, Cobra._ Brain's sadistic expression only grew when he saw tears in Cobra's eyes, "Oh…I'm sorry, did you _hear_ that?" He said, laughing.

"Damn it…" Cobra sniffed, "You bastard!" He snapped, "Traitor!" He fell back, hitting the ground. _My prayer…to hear the voice of the only friend I've ever had…_ He thought, as his snaked nuzzled his face and stayed by his side. _Cubellios…_

"Hey…" Natsu said weakly from the ground, "Wasn't he a friend of yours?"

"Now I can make as many friends as I like…with the power of Nirvana!" Brain said.

"Those aren't friend! They're just puppets!"

"Hmm, quite a rebellious spirit we have here. Perhaps in due time, you'll understand what I mean." He clenched a hand into a fist, "I'll make you Nirvana's very first puppet, how does that sound?"

* * *

Midnight's bloodied body smacked against the ground as he face-planted it, "How…how could I lose?"

"The one with the greater ideology wins. With the greater conviction." Hoteye stood firm, "That is what Jura taught me."

"No…I…I can't lose…" Midnight tried to get back up, "I…I can't. Father will disown me…" He warped away, "I can't lose!"

"Running will not help you." Hoteye said, his eyes glowing gold, "My Heaven's Gaze sees all." He slowly rose a hand, "Including you! Liquid ground!"

Midnight coughed up blood as the ground around him exploded and melted away. When he landed from the attack, he was motionless.

"Today marks the end of the Oración Seis!"

* * *

"Hey guys, look over there!" Gray pointed.

The Emerald Knight looked a mix of surprised and confused, "It's Natsu…and he's being dragged away by Brain! Natsu, what are you doing?! Fight back!"

Sure enough, Brain was dragging an almost lifeless Natsu through the city, "Urp…it's a moving vehicle…" The latter said.

Jura crossed his arms, "I'm pleased Sir Happy survived as well."

"Sir Happy?" Gray half-wilted.

"Please everyone…" Happy said, too weak to get up, "Save Natsu…he's…poisoned…he doesn't have much time left…"

Brain turned to the group, like they should be grateful he was bothering to address them at all, "The Oración Seis lost half of our numbers. In order to replenish them, I claim this man." He hoisted Natsu up briefly, as if he were a ragdoll, or livestock.

Gray crossed his arms, "I thought this would happen someday, but I'll be damned. Natsu's being scouted by a dark guild…"

"It's highly unlikely Natsu will cooperate with your plan." The Emerald Knight narrowed his eyes.

"It matters not." Brain said, "Nirvana will send his heart into darkness, and he will become my right hand."

"Not gonna happen!" Natsu bit his arm.

Brain looked mildly annoyed that Natsu still had some kick left in him, "Fool!" He smashed him into the ground, "Save your meddling for after Nirvana claims you!"

"This isn't good." Jura said, "Who knows how long he can survive with those toxins in his body."

"That, and the motion sickness pretty much prevents him from moving." Gray said.

"Hurry…" Natsu choked, "Hurry up and get him…and…and stop this thing…"

"Yeah, we're working on it, pal." Gray crossed his arms.

The Emerald Knight looked a little nervous as he more or less hung onto Gray. Even if he _could_ walk, he wasn't sure how much help he would be against someone as powerful as Brain. Defeating Angel was one thing, and that didn't even come easily. This was going to be a fight against the guild master of not only a dark guild, but a dark guild in the Baram Alliance?

Brain chuckled, holding his arms out, "Stop Nirvana? You think you fools can stop Nirvana? I'd love to watch you try!" He laughed, "The structure will soon arrive to Cait Shelter! It's first target!"

"Wendy and Carla's guild…?" Happy asked weakly from the ground, "Why?"

Jura frowned, "State your intentions!" He ordered, "Why are you aiming to destroy Lady Wendy's guild?"

"Hyper-Reversal Magic takes a light guild and in seconds, transform it into a dark guild!" Brain snickered, "So I'm looking forward to seeing the first sparks of hellfire on earth! To see the world crumble into darkness!"

"This guy is completely messed up." Gray said.

The Emerald Knight nodded silently in agreement. He'd think that after seeing something as complicated as the Tower of Heaven, that such a design would be peak darkness. But this just seemed utterly malevolent. He felt his pulse raising, like every new quip or shout was a tiny tremor before the huge earthquake of a conflict would indefinitely rear its ugly head.

"Didn't you hear me? State your intentions!" Jura said.

Brain laughed, "I have no words to waste on filthy trash like you! I am the judge of light and darkness! On your knees, all of you!"

Jura clenched one of his hands into a fist, "This man annoys me. He's incapable of participating in sane conversation…"

"Be gone lowly maggots!"

Jura raised a single hand, and any rock rubble nearby obeyed his command. Soon, it was an entire rocky avalanche that headed Brain's way. The attack was so quick and vast, there was no way to dodge it. Brain coughed up blood as he was smacked and sliced apart by the rocks that came his way.

Brain grunted as he dug himself out of the rocky tomb Jura had built for him, "What…sort of magic power…is this?"

"Stand up!" Jura held a taunting hand out, "You are not allowed to rest until you tell me the reason why you're targeting Cait Shelter!"

"This old guy…" Gray's jaw was agape.

"May turn the tide in battle for us…" The Emerald Knight said, practically speechless.

"More than that…he's amazing…"

The Emerald Knight nodded. Was victory near?

"He's one of the Ten Wizard Saints…just like the Master…" Happy said.

"Urp…" Natsu said.

"I see…consider yourself fortunate that you were able to catch me off guard." Brain said, quickly recovering his confidence and countenance from earlier, "I suppose as a Wizard Saint, your defeat will not come easily…"

Jura crossed his arms, "There are numerous guilds closer than Cait Shelter for you to unleash your rage on." He said, "So for you to go out of your way to specifically target Cait Shelter…it's suspicious…"

"Silence!" He raised his staff high, a roaring wind was heard as the staff glowed green, with hundreds of glowing green skulls emanating from it.

"No…" The Emerald Knight covered his ears over the howling winds, "That's the same attack that nearly killed us all at the crash site of the Christina!"

"Dark Rondo!" Brain said, holding his trembling staff forward, as the bristling dark magic flew towards the three of them.

"Iron Rock Wall!" Jura clapped his hands together, and several stone pillars rose from the ground, perfectly blocking the attack.

"Whoa…" Gray's eyes were wide.

The Emerald Knight blinked a few times in surprise, "Of course…how could I have forgotten? He protected us from this attack _last time_. Perhaps Jura is the best-suited opponent for the likes of Brain."

Brain gave a sinister chuckle, "You played right into my hands." He held his staff out for another attack, "Dark Capriccio!" Unlike his previous dark green blasts, this one had an explosive array of fire entwined within it.

Jura held a hand out, and one of the stone pillars bent to defend his unguarded flank.

"Whoa…" Happy said, "The rock twisted?"

"You efforts are futile!" Brain scoffed, "Dark Capriccio can cut through any surface!"

Jura's eyes widened as his defenses were useless, he jumped back, "Iron Rock Wall!" He raised more stone pillars, at least ten of them.

Brain smirked, firing off more of his spells, "This will go on forever if you let it."

"I think not." Jura smiled, seeing all the rubble his destroyed walls created. He raised both his hands, and the millions of rocks shot towards Brain, once again entombing him.

"I don't believe it…" The Emerald Knight's eyes were wide, "This man takes a whole new definition to the word 'resourcefulness.' He _lured_ Brain into continuously attacking him, using the destroyed fragments of his walls as an offensive strike to do him in…"

"Supreme King…" Jura took a deep breath, "Rock Crush!" Jura had the rocky tomb converge inward and explode. Brain coughed up a massive amount of blood, collapsing on the ground.

"Holy crap…" Gray said, "Now I get why this guy can get someone like _Lyon_ to respect him…"

The Emerald Knight was absolutely shocked. Jura's strategy seemed so airtight, yet so basic. And he was still able to make Brain play right into it. To see the supposedly renowned master of the Oración Seis be reduced to firing lasers spastically only to be shut down in a matter of swift, precise movements, it spoke hugely to the power of the light guilds, and certainly put a few things in perspective.

"He's down!" Gray cheered, "And he was the boss, right?"

The Emerald Knight swallowed hard, "Have…have we won?"

"Now…" Jura got to Brain's level, "Tell me why you're targeting Lady Wendy's guild!"

The Emerald Knight half-wilted, "Quite persistent…that one…"

"Urp…" Natsu said, "Hey…can…can someone stop this thing now…?"

"I…I thought it would be impossible…for _me_ to be defeated…" Brain said weakly, one of his markings disappearing. "Midnight…Midnight you must listen…the rest is up to you…you cannot let…the Oración Seis fall…because when the six prayers fade…he…he will be released…" He fainted.

"Hmm? He? Who's he?" Jura asked.

"Wait…didn't one of his tattoos just freaking disappear?" Gray asked.

The Emerald Knight squinted at Brain, then his eyes widened. Gray was right. He remembered first seeing him, after the Christina was shot down, or even before that, in the briefing. Brain had significantly more markings on his face than he did now. Did he remove them at some point? What purpose would that serve?

The sound of light, slightly infrequent but flurried footsteps was heard, "There's an emergency!"

"I had an aching feeling they were behind this destruction…" Her companion grumbled irritably.

The Emerald Knight's face glowed with hope, "Wendy, thank goodness!"

Her eyes were dripping with tears, "The city, it's…it's headed for my guild!"

"Yeah, that's what the rest of us came up with." Gray smiled, "We should be all good though."

"Really?" Her body relaxed a bit, then her eyes drifted down. She expected to see the earth beneath her feet, and not what appeared to be a corpse. "Ah!" She jumped back.

"Snake guy's passed out over there too…in case you were curious."

"Brain was the one controlling Nirvana in the first place." The Emerald Knight said, "Now that he's been ousted, we just have to stop the mechanism itself."

Carla still seemed dissatisfied. "That still doesn't answer the question as to why it was targeting the guild."

Gray shrugged, "Oh well, at least now we'll be able to stop it."

Jura crossed his arms, "I still have many questions, but for the most part, it seems this ordeal is finally over."

"Wendy." The Emerald Knight prefaced politely, "I…I don't suppose you could use your sky magic to…to heal my spine…do you—"

"Urp…" Natsu said, "I'm…I'm dying here…"

"Oh…oh right…Natsu and Happy were poisoned…perhaps it would be wiser to start with them…"

Wendy quickly rushed to their aid without a question asked. Carla looked irritated, on the other hand. "Now, what did you do to ingest so much poison?" She then glared at the Emerald Knight, "And how have you managed to damage your spine?"

"We were fighting a poison dragon slayer…" Natsu said quietly, "Sorry ma'am…"

"Aye…" Happy said.

"It was the only way I could defeat Angel of the Oración Seis." The Emerald Knight said, "Apologies."

"Hmph." She faced away, still irritated by their antics.

"It's really no problem, Carla." Wendy reassured, "How am I supposed to get better at it without practicing?"

Carla offered no response.

Gray looked up at the huge building in the center of the city, "Didn't that big guy say that it was controlled by the King's Hall or something?"

The Emerald Knight nodded, more than pleased that he could now walk for himself and no longer be a burden on anyone, "Then I suppose that shall be our next destination."

"The faster we head there, the quicker Nirvana will be stopped." Jura said.

* * *

Midnight's body only laid motionless for a few seconds. "I'm…having a dream…we all have dreams…don't we?" He asked, as he slowly got up.

Hoteye's eyes shrunk. Midnight's voice echoed, like it was reverberating inside his head.

Midnight waved a hand forward, and a black and red wave struck Hoteye, zapping him off all his strength and causing him to collapse, "Magic doesn't work on me."

Hoteye screamed in agony, falling to his knees. _No…it can't be…Midnight's injuries are gone?_

Sure enough, the previous injuries Midnight had accumulated were vanishing right before his very eyes. "You see…father is quite a renowned wizard, and the only one in the Oración Seis who can even compare to him…is me."

Hoteye fell to the ground. _My prayer…is to see my brother…just one last time. I'd like to see his face again…_

* * *

Brain felt a searing pain on his face, as two of his markings began to disappear, "No…the fifth one is gone too…" He rasped, "Midnight…make sure that…that you are not defeated. That is my prayer…"

Meanwhile, the others went to the King's Hall, though they were dismayed with what they found.

"What the heck is this?" Gray asked.

"These findings are not encouraging." The Emerald Knight said.

"I concur…" Jura said.

"There's nothing here that looks like controls!" Gray yelled, "So how do we stop it?!"

"All that's around are pillars and rubble…" Jura said.

"How was Brain controlling it in the first place?" The Emerald Knight asked, "Strictly through magic?"

"Why isn't Natsu feeling better…?" Wendy worried, "Did I do something wrong?"

Happy walked over to Natsu's semi-conscious form, "Natsu gets motion sick really easily…"

"Ugh, how pathetic…" Carla looked away in disdain.

Wendy blinked a few times, "Oh, that's easy." She held her hands together and cast a spell, a big ball of blue light. "This will restore his balance." She pushed it down into his chest, "Troia!"

"Huh?" Natsu instantly perked up, taking a few moments to walk around on what would otherwise be a 'deadly moving vehicle.' He looked completely fine, just as normal as anyone else, "Whoo-hoo! I'm free! I'm free at last!" He jumped up and down.

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay…" Wendy's smile was beaming.

"You're amazing Wendy!" He grabbed her by the shoulders, lightly jostling her, "Teach me how to use that magic!"

"Um…" Her voice grew distant and she looked away, "It's, um…it's…it's Sky Magic…so…you can't learn it…"

"It's like I'm not a moving vehicle at all!" Natsu cheered, "This is so freaking awesome!" He grabbed the Emerald Knight by the shoulders and shook him next, "Hey, Ant, let me ride on your back! I wanna see how well it works on two moving vehicles!"

The Emerald Knight frowned and released himself from Natsu's grip, "I thought living things didn't count as moving vehicles…or is that only limited to Happy?"

Gray crossed his arms, "Now that you're not puking, we might as well fill you in. We don't know how to stop Nirvana. There's nothing here." He paused to think, "Even though Hot…or…Richard…said that this is where it was being controlled."

"I don't think Sir Richard would lie to us." Jura said.

Carla crossed her arms, (paws?) and looked towards the distance, "Before we waste our time and effort stopping this, have any of you noticed anything…unusual about its movements?" She looked up them, "There is no cockpit, no one in the King's Hall, and Brain is unconscious. So then how is it still moving, let alone headed to the same destination?"

"Crap…" Gray's eyes shrunk, "It's on autopilot? That means it could be set to fire by itself too!"

"Our guild…" Wendy trembled, almost falling to her knees, her eyes dribbling with tears, "No…no…it can't…"

"Don't worry." Natsu looked out towards the distance, resolute, "Your guild is gonna be just fine. In exchange for all the help you gave me…I'm gonna stop this thing!"

Sinister chuckling could meanwhile be heard throughout the city, "Nirvana will not fall." Midnight said, "Not as long as I'm breathing."

* * *

 **A/N:** Damn, SolaireofAstora, throwing some shade Cana's way. No, but seriously, your review made me laugh for a minute or two when I first read it. This plot point, like everything else, has been planned. There will eventually be a confrontation between Ant and Cana about their mismatched relationship, but it may take some time. Until then, I thank you all for the favorites, the follows, and the reviews, and I hope you all enjoyed reading!


	63. Chapter 63

**A/N:** And we have chapter sixty-three! (Surprisingly, I double-uploaded) I enjoyed Klodoa a lot more than I thought I would.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

The rumbling only got worse as time passed on. The tiny village and those who lived in it were increasingly unnerved. In the center of the village was a white, cat shaped building which had a sign above the eye-shaped windows which read 'Cait Shelter.' Most of the architecture and furnishings looked aged in nature, and the getup amongst the villagers were strictly tribal.

"Everyone, this is bad!" A member of Cait Shelter ran into the guild, "Nirvana's heading this way!"

"What?!" Another guild member asked.

"So the allied forces failed?" A third asked.

"No way, they had Jura _and_ Erza!" A fourth yelled, shocked.

One of the guild members turned to the end of the room, "Master!"

"Nabura?" The tiny bearded man sitting in the center chair asked. Like the others, his clothes were tribal as well, he was wearing a prestigious headdress in his white hair. He took the bottle he was holding, pouring his wine into the glass. He then drank directly from the bottle.

"If you're going to chug it from the bottle, don't pour a glass first!" One of the guild members protested.

"Nabura!"

"Master, this is serious, Nirvana's coming!"

"What?" He asked, all of what he was drinking spilling out onto the floor, "Is that true?!"

"Master Robaul…please _swallow_ before you start talking…"

"Hmm…" Robaul thought to himself, "Nirvana is headed straight for us. Is it fate…or nabura coincidence…"

"I hope Wendy's okay." One of the wizards said.

"Yeah, we'll be completely useless once it gets too close…" Another said.

Robaul started drinking again, only to stop and say, "Be at ease!"

"Ugh…master…that's so gross…"

"The magic of light is alive and well! And it is shining nabura bright!"

"But is this really coincidence?" A guild member asked.

"Maybe they actually _do_ know what we are…" Another member said.

"If that's the case, then no wonder they're trying to destroy us first…" A third member said.

"Nabura." Robaul said.

"Okay, I've been in this guild for a while…still don't know what 'nabura' means…"

"Master, we need to evacuate!" Some of the wizards cried.

"No defensive enchantment in the world can stop Nirvana!"

"You fools!" Robaul snapped, silencing them all, "We already have nabura strong allies fighting to stop it! Anyone who has faith in them has no need to move from this spot." He said, slamming his bottle on the table, "Or perhaps…" His tone went a little softer, "Maybe our time has come…the time to atone for our sins…"

* * *

"We have to stop it, but we have no idea how to!" Happy said.

"Wreck it." Natsu slapped his fist into an open hand.

The Emerald Knight made a disappointed face, "What would we even destroy? There's nothing but rock and rubble…what would that even do?"

"It's too big to just…destroy altogether anyway…" Gray said.

"Asking Brain is the quickest way." Jura said.

"You think he'd tell us so easily?" Carla sounded fed-up.

"Or…maybe….we could ask Jellal…" Wendy said very softly to herself. Her mind flashed with images of her new friends enraged, of Jellal with his fists bared, a dark look on his face.

"Did you say something, Wendy?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"No, it was nothing…" She clasped her hands together and got up from her perch, starting to run, "I have an idea, I'll be right back!" She said before she ran off.

"Wendy, you can't!" Carla called, but Wendy didn't listen.

"Hey, you can't just leave, it's not safe!" Gray held a hand out.

The Emerald Knight crossed his arms, "Did she perhaps leave something behind?"

"It's certainly possible." Jura said.

" _Everyone, can you hear me?"_ A voice beamed into all of their heads, _"It is I, Hoteye."_

"Sir Richard, are you alright?" Jura asked.

"Who's this in my head?!" Natsu screamed.

"It seems to be telepathic…from one of our newfound allies." The Emerald Knight explained.

" _I regret to inform you that I have been defeated. As suspected, I could not stand up to Midnight."_ He said, _"You all need to combine your strengths to defeat Midnight. Defeating Midnight will cut off the flow of magic to Nirvana. The city will come to a stop."_

"So this entire city is mobile because of organic link magic?" Gray asked.

Happy looked around, "Looks more complicated than anything I've ever seen."

" _Midnight is located under the King's Hall. Be wary, he is very, very, strong!"_

Jura looked surprised, "Sir Richard…" He looked down, not sure whether to be surprised more at Richard's kindheartedness, or how he was defeated.

"Below us?" The Emerald Knight asked, "The King's Hall has a cellar?"

"The only way to find out is to check for ourselves." Gray said.

"Strong, huh? I'm all fired up!" Natsu clenched his fists.

The Emerald Knight sighed, "We need to take him together…if you rush in alone, you'll nearly get killed…just like what happened with Cobra…"

"I will not!"

"I'm just looking out for you."

"Let's get a move on. We need to stop Nirvana." Jura said.

" _There is only one prayer left…please…you have to defeat Midnight!"_

Brain chuckled from the ground, moving his hand away from his forehead. _If I'm going down, then I'm taking the rest of the light guilds down with me!_

"There it is!" Gray said, as they all headed to a pair of large stone double doors.

"Right!" Natsu pulled the doors open, "Alright, out you come, you sleepy jerk!"

Jura's eyes widened, "It's a trap!" He yelled, as a shining yellow light consumed them all in a huge explosion.

* * *

The ruins of Nirvana all looked the same to her. She was annoyed with herself for straying away from her allies this long, she hadn't even seen combat yet. Erza at least seemed somewhat relieved to be alone with Jellal, away from the chaos.

It didn't last long.

"Did you hear where that explosion came from?" Erza's dark eyes searched for Jellal's.

"It appears to have come from the King's Hall." Jellal said.

"It looks like father's grown impatient." They heard a voice, both of them whirling around to see Midnight, "Seems he wishes to claim all the blood and death for himself."

"Stay back Erza." Jellal stood protectively in front of her, "I'll handle him."

"Jellal…" Erza was shocked at his sudden change in character.

* * *

Natsu grimaced as the tumbling rock and debris bounced off the lot of them, "Damn it…what the hell happened?"

"Well…for an explosion, it could have been worse…" Gray said.

"Aye…" Happy said, just as covered in dust as the others were.

"Shh." The Emerald Knight held a finger to his lips, "Why is it so dark…and where's that labored breathing coming from?"

Gray looked up, his eyes widened, "No way…we're…we're buried alive?"

"It's not that." He pointed ahead, "These attacks…I've seen them before." He said, noting the flat, solid rocks, "Look."

Natsu's jaw dropped, "It's the old guy!"

"No way!" Gray said.

"Jura!" Happy shouted.

"He saved us." The Emerald Knight said. Sure enough, the rocky pillars were Jura's handiwork. He must have shielded them from the explosion. Though Jura himself didn't look so fortunate. He was wheezing and bloodied, looking as though he could hardly stand.

"Are you alright?" Natsu, Gray, the Emerald Knight, and Happy all asked at once.

"I…I envy the hot-blooded youth…" Jura panted, "I'm so glad you survived this…" He fell over.

"Old man!" Natsu screamed.

"Hang in there!" Gray said.

"Jura!" The Emerald Knight said.

* * *

Wendy almost had to cover her eyes, watching the monstrosity head towards her guild, "I can't believe it…" She whimpered.

Her source of travel, however, seemed like she was about to drop, "Wendy, I can't fly much longer…"

"Oh, I'm sorry! Let's land then, we can find Jellal on foot." Carla gently glided down with the young Dragon Slayer and they landed smoothly.

"You have a good sense of smell, yes?" Carla asked,

"I do. You're a cat so…don't you too?"

"I'm not going to go rooting through the earth with my nose!" She scoffed, "Besides…" She looked away, "I must focus on regaining my energy."

"Right…" Wendy looked around, "In any case, this Jellal smells a little different than the one I remember…"

"I'm sure his scent changed as you both grew up." Carla insisted, "I despise your haste in most instances, but in situations like this, I suppose it's best to follow your instinct." Wendy looked over at Carla, "So then. Let's find Jellal."

"Yeah!" _You might have forgotten about me, Jellal, but I haven't forgotten you!_

* * *

Erza felt like the very ground beneath her dropped.

Jellal's downed, bloody body on the ground was exactly the opposite of what she was predicting. Midnight hardly looked worn-out after it, too. If anything, he looked bored by the display.

"You pitiful clown." Midnight scowled, "Have you lost the ability to use your magic alongside your memories… _old friend_ …" He taunted with a grin.

Jellal coughed up blood, too weak to respond.

"Hmm…still alive…" Midnight said.

 _That magic square of self-destruction must have drained him far more than he had thought._ Erza's expression of shock was traded for one of boldness and vengeance, something she wore often.

"I don't think you've _nearly_ suffered enough to pay for all that you've done."

He turned over his shoulder to see her blade swing down in his direction, but all that happened was a high-pitched whirring noise as the sword did nothing. She tried again a few times, but it was like she was slashing through a mirror. The way Midnight shined each time the strikes failed made Erza even more concerned than she was before.

"Erza Scarlet." Midnight prefaced, "I suppose I should take care of you next."

 _It's like I have no control of my sword at all…_ She tried again, and again.

"Erza, be careful! He's dangerous!" Jellal warned from the ground.

"Hmm." Midnight held a hand out. Erza froze in place, her armor slowly bending and wrapping around her, constricting her breathing.

Her breathing hitched and her head shot up to try and gasp for air, but it was futile. So, she requipped right out of it, instead donning her Heaven's Wheel. "Now I see…"

"Yes…my reflector magic can take anything and bend, twist, and manipulate it." He smiled, "It can take magic and turn it back on its caster. It can also bend light into illusions."

"What a terrifying magic power…" Jellal wheezed from the ground.

"I'd like to see you defeat me!" She flew forward.

Midnight scoffed, "Didn't you hear me? Magic doesn't work on me…"

* * *

"It's worse than I thought…" The Emerald Knight said, as the four of them were all kneeled around Jura, "Can…can you move, sir?"

"Crap…if he's dead…" Gray swallowed hard.

Jura coughed, "It…it was just an explosion…I'll be fine…"

"How pitiful…" A deep menacing voice was heard, "Brain used the last of his power…and he only took down _one_ of you oafs?"

"Who's there?" Gray snarled.

"Over there!" Happy pointed.

It was a floating stick with a skull and headdress atop it. Each time it spoke, the eye sockets and gem in its mouth lit up, "Such a foolish gambit. It tarnishes the name of the six demons!"

The Emerald Knight held his lance and shield firm, "I recognize that…"

"Still…" Brain's staff went on, "As long as Midnight is around, one cannot say that we are _truly_ defeated, can we? So I'll just have to take out brats myself."

"Ah! Talking cane!" Happy screamed.

"It's the staff Brain was carrying…what's it doing here?" Gray asked.

"Stay on guard. There's no telling how powerful…it…he…it…he is." The Emerald Knight said.

Natsu grabbed the floating staff, bashing it against the nearest rock, "Listen here you, I don't need to hear your stupid bragging all night, alright? I'm trying to save Cait Shelter here! Got it?"

The Emerald Knight sighed, "Apparently, not very…"

"Fools! How dare you!" Brain's staff said, "I am the venerated _seventh_ member of the Oración Seis! I have been awakened so that I—"

"Hey! I thought I told you to stop your yapping already!" Natsu went back to bashing him against a rock, making the rest of his statement indecipherable.

The Emerald Knight just looked confused, "If it's called the Oración Seis, then shouldn't there be six of them? What's all this 'seventh member' nonsense?"

"I'm more confused about how a staff can talk, and move…and float…" Gray said.

"There's too many things to complain about…" Happy crossed his arms.

Brain's staff luckily freed itself from Natsu's clutches, "It's no matter." He said, "Our target guild should be in our sights soon. Before we can begin our _real_ plan, that guild must be wiped out first…"

"Cait Shelter?" The Emerald Knight asked.

"Oh yes." He said, "It's _integral_ to the plan."

* * *

"Take this!" Dozens of Erza's blades flew forward at once towards her opponent.

Midnight raised a brow, "You thought you could overwhelm me with numbers?" He asked, the swords reflecting off his body right back towards her, "A pointless endeavor. That's all the more swords you'll have to deal with."

"No, Erza!" Jellal cried from the ground.

Erza materialized two more swords, blocking all the ones that were reflected towards her. Midnight frowned, then he chuckled, as he began to strangle her with her own armor yet again. His grin grew absolutely sadistic when he saw her cough up blood, "Yes…that's right…more of that…I want to see her suffer…" He said, "There we go…" He said as he heard a scream, "Just _exquisite_ …"

She squinted her eyes and whipped her sword in his direction with all she could.

"A last-ditch tactic." Midnight said as he sidestepped the attack. He lashed a hand out, a rippling black and red wave coming from it, "Spiral Pain!" She screeched, trying desperately to cling onto the air or just ground beneath her, but it all fell away. She tumbled to the ground, her body bare as her requip energy died.

"No…it…it can't be…" Jellal said.

"Finished so soon?" Midnight smirked.

"No…Erza…please…please wake up…"

"Oh please, you can't die _already_ , Erza…" He said, "I wanted to play with you until at least Cait Shelter…"

"Cait Shelter…?"

"Yes indeed, our first target."

"But…why there…?"

Midnight smiled, "In the ancient past, there was a clan of people who created Nirvana to put an end to all wars. The Nirvits." He explained, "But Nirvana turned out to be more dangerous than any of them had expected. So they sealed away the very magic they created. They feared its power could be unlocked, so they have kept a watchful eye over it for hundreds of years. They formed a magical guild, which only allows members of the Nirvit clan to join. That guild being Cait Shelter."

* * *

"Those fools still hold the power to seal away Nirvana." Brain's staff said, relaying the same story to the terrified group of four, "So that's why, in essence, they need to be destroyed first!"

* * *

"Putting such a wonderful engine of destruction to sleep…that's just not right!" Midnight smiled, his red eyes shaking with a crazed lust, "This ancient city has the power to start the path of chaos!" He said, "Also, in a way, it serves as a lesson…the Nirvits wanted to be neutral. They wanted to meddle, and they paid the price for it…now they'll be the _cause_ of war!" He started laughing, "Everyone's hearts will be plunged to darkness, and they'll all start slaughtering each other! Isn't it wonderful?"

Jellal frowned, "You're a sick and vile man…"

Midnight scowled at him, "Quit it with the goody-goody act, will you?" He started pacing around him, "Your soul is shrouded in more darkness than mine could ever hope to be! Or did you forget about the Tower of Heaven so soon, hmm, Jellal? Every moment of torment I learned, every pain I inflict, I learned it from you!"

"No…I…that's not me…"

"Yes it is! You took children as slaves and forced them to construct a tower just to meet your own ends! You murdered those who wouldn't follow your vision! You murdered your friends too. Even Erza, the person fighting your battles for you now, you've screwed her up most of all!" He said, "Can you even _count_ how many people's lives you ruined or ended? How much blood you've split all over the land? The consequences of your overarching actions?" He reached a hand out, "Come…Jellal…a man as dark and cursed as you…you would be _perfect_ for the Oración Seis!"

"I know…" Erza's voice came out soft and almost inaudibly. They both turned to see Erza start to rise to her feet, "I know of…the true light that shines within Jellal…" Erza rose to her feet, donning a new armor, which looked more like robes than anything else.

It was similar to a short-sleeved kimono, layered royal purple and light pink with a black obi and thin red rope around her waist. There were flowering patterns abound, her tall socks matched the pink layers, and her arms were covered by white layers of fabric.

Jellal's eyes shrunk. _"You have to live to see…"_ He took a deep breath, resolute in staying awake to witness the rest of Erza's fight. If not for her, he certainly wouldn't be here right now.

"Oh? So you actually do have the strength to stand?" Midnight asked, "Wonderful. Now I know where you get your reputation from. I'll crush you until there's nothing left, Erza!" He clenched his hands into fists.

"I will put a stop to you and the Oración Seis, I swear!" Erza declared.

* * *

 **A/N:** *The battle/Jerza intensifies* I'll do what I can to get some more chapters up, not much left until the arc is concluded. Pretty sure Zero just has to wake up and punch people for a little while. Hope you enjoyed! Until next time!


	64. Chapter 64

**A/N:** Here's chapter sixty-four! The fight between Erza and Midnight finally comes to a conclusion, while the Emerald Knight and his allies face a much stronger foe!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

"Do your worst, Erza." Midnight held a taunting hand out, "Let's see what your second wind gives you." He smiled, "Even still…none of your attacks will land…"

Jellal watched uneasily from the ground, "Please…Erza…you can do this…"

She darted forward, a lot faster than she had moved since she had started the fight. She reeled back her new naginata back to slice into Midnight. "Move as fast as you'd like, nothing breaks through my reflector." Midnight held his arms out, the blade as before just bouncing off his body. As her blade bounced off, she prepared her other hand, reeling back her palm to smash it into his chest.

Midnight's eyes widened as he flew back, crashing through the nearest building. "W-What…?" He got up quickly, brushing the debris off himself.

She stood tall, chin held high. "Your magic has two weak points." She stated.

Jellal smiled and relaxed once she started her lecture. She had this fight in the bag.

"You might be able to manipulate magic, but you can't do a thing with the body. If you could, _you_ would have choked me rather than _my armor_."

Midnight's gaze hardened, "It doesn't matter…I could still strangle you with the cloth you're wearing now!" He held a hand out, and Erza's outfit began to wrap around her once more.

"And the other thing." As the robes were wrapping around her tighter, dozens of blades appeared above his head and started falling.

Midnight looked up, his eyes bulging out of his head, "Ah!" The swords cut through him and downed him easily, blood everywhere.

"When you were manipulating my armor earlier, you moved to avoid my sword. Seems you can't multitask. You're either using magic on me, or Reflector magic."

"I…I can't believe she determined how to defeat him so quickly…" Jellal said quietly.

"This armor I'm in." She pulled her arms away like he was hardly using any magic on her, "Infinity Robes. It can stretch far and wide." She smirked, "Hmm. Seems I've found a _third_ weakness."

"Damn it…" Midnight growled, "Just a little sooner…"

"This battle is over." She said firmly.

"If you _died_ just a little sooner…" Midnight licked his lips, "You wouldn't have to see…my ultimate Nightmare!"

The ground started shaking, as Midnight's body began to grow and transform into a dark monstrous state.

Jellal's jaw dropped, "That's impossible!"

Midnight laughed, now a large, black hulking monster, "Say goodbye, you fool!" He held a hand out, a dark energy ball forming in it, once he tossed it at the duo, it exploded,

As they were dazed by the incredible dark light, Midnight sent out shadowy vines. One of them impaled Jellal immediately. He coughed and choked, covered in so much blood it was debatable as to whether or not he was alive. "No, Jellal!" Erza screeched before one impaled her as well.

"Don't you dare even think about dying so easily!" Midnight laughed, "I've just _started_ having my fun with you!" She wheezed out blood, crying out in pain as the tentacle thrashed around inside her.

And then she had enough.

Her eye shut as she swung her blade down across him, slicing him open right across his chest. As blood dribbled from his lips, Erza took a deep breath, "Optical magic does not work on me." She kept her false eye open.

Jellal looked at the ground, where he had been laying this entire time, "But…but Erza and I…he killed us…I saw it…what happened?"

Midnight slowly fell to the ground, a huge scar across his chest now, "No…she…didn't fall for my illusion…"

Jellal's eyes widened, "So it _was_ an illusion…"

"This can't be…" Midnight held his hands up to the sky, "I'm the strongest member of the Oración Seis! Just like father…I…I…no wizard could ever defeat me!"

"One who laughs at the pain of others…" Erza opened both eyes, "Is still very far from reaching such heights…"

Midnight continued looking at the sky. _My prayer…was just to find a quiet place to sleep…a nice…quiet place…_

Jellal looked surprised, yet relieved, "Erza won…"

"If your wish is to truly be unstoppable," She turned over her shoulder, "You must learn your own weaknesses. Only then will you be able to become a much gentler person."

* * *

Brain's staff launched countless volts of blue lightning, reverberating around the tiny dark room they were all in. The attack stopped Natsu and Gray in their tracks, not only causing them pain but stunning them too, "Damn it!" The latter said.

"Stay behind me." The Emerald Knight said, "Electric-based attacks are greatly resisted when used against me."

Natsu and Gray exchanged a glance, moving back behind the Emerald Knight. This time when Brain's staff attacked, not only did the Emerald Knight's shield block it, but his armor absorbed some of the volts that went especially awry.

The staff paused, rubbing his lower jaw with his wooden base, as if stroking his chin in thought. "What's with this emerald brat?" He asked himself, "I'm not going to make any progress on these fools if he's around."

Brain's staff attacked again, but with the Emerald Knight's shield up, the attack was blocked yet again. "Hmm…" He said, then his expression went shocked, "Wait a minute…the…the six demons are…all defeated?" The blue gem in his mouth fell out, "Oh no! This is horrible! He's coming! He's coming!" He screamed.

"What?" Gray asked.

"Oh no…oh no, oh no, oh no…"

"Okay…now he's freaking out…"

"Brain has an alternate personality." His staff explained, "His public face is 'Brain', the man who loves knowledge. But the personality within is 'Zero', the man who loves destruction!"

"Zero?" Happy asked.

"Zero was absurdly strong with magic power, violent, and unpredictable. For that reason, Brain had him sealed away with six keys!"

Gray's eyes widened slowly with realization, "No way…the Oración Seis!"

The staff nodded with sorrow, "Once the organic link magic provided by the Six Demons is destroyed…Zero will be freed once again."

The staff suddenly screamed, looking at the doorway, "Uh…why…hello! Master Zero…" He bowed, (or at least he bowed as well as a sentient staff _could_ bow), "Welcome back!"

The Emerald Knight felt his heat sink, "He woke up _already?_ "

"It seems things have gotten interesting, Klodoa." A growl echoed in the tiny dark room. "It seems even Midnight has been defeated!"

"Yes sir…I-I…I'm so sorry to report…s-sir!" Klodoa said.

"But even so…" The man snarled. It was a complete one-eighty from how Brain talked, how Brain functioned. Brain's voice was cool, cold, a hint of wisdom in it, although sinister. This personality barked like a mad dog, he talked in yells. It was hard to believe that they were supposed to be the same person. "This body…this magic force…it's great to be in charge once again!"

A glow went around Zero as his clothes changed, "I will handle these weaklings, Klodoa." He said, facing Natsu, Gray, Happy, and the Emerald Knight, "Listen closely…you have wreaked havoc on my guild…and as its Master…I intend on repaying that debt in full!" He said. And with a green, militaristic jacket, glowing blood red eyes, and overall paler skin, his looks were more than frightening enough to back up that threat.

The Emerald Knight felt himself shudder. His throat was completely dry. This man was so powerful that even someone with cruddy gauging on magic power like the Emerald Knight himself could feel something emanating from him.

"So does taking down this guy fire you up?" Gray smiled at Natsu.

"Oh, you bet." Natsu smiled back, "This guy and his creepy magic are going down!"

The Emerald Knight looked at both of them in shock. They were insane. How were they supposed to beat this man when they most likely couldn't even defeat Brain? Even together, the odds were against them.

"Although…perhaps I should start with the old fool who managed to inflict so much damage on Brain's body!" Zero aimed a hand at Jura, the frightened dark green magic power flowing around his hand.

Gray stood protectively in front of him, "You're gonna attack someone who can't even fight back? Where the hell's the dignity in that, you freak!"

"Movement in the enemy makes little difference…" Zero said, "As long as they have a tangible form…then they need to be reduced to nothingness!" Zero held his hand up high, "Dark Rondo!" He blasted the huge overarching attack of darkness that was even more effective given the cramped interior.

"Ice-Make Shield!" Gray held his hands out, and a huge dome of ice protected them. Unfortunately Zero's attack destroyed Gray's shield like it was made of paper, and Gray was knocked out immediately, covered in blood. Zero's eyes slid over to Natsu, running at him in full force. Zero held a hand out, blasting more dark magic out. Natsu and Happy were each defeated with one move each.

The Emerald Knight felt his chest tense up even more. It was completely silent, as Zero looked towards his last opponent. The Emerald Knight frowned, he wasn't going to cave in now. He had to fight, "Swords of Retribution!" He held his lance up, launching twelve swords of plasma Zero's way.

Zero snickered like a madman as he ran towards them, holding a hand out, "Dark Capriccio!" He fired off his flaming green beam.

"He dodged them all?" The Emerald Knight asked, moving is shield in front of them to block the attack.

Zero's blinked in surprise, "You…blocked Dark Capriccio?" He asked, "That should be impossible…what's that shield of yours made out of?"

"Emerald Hawk!" He fired out a bird of plasma at Zero, hoping that they were close enough for Zero not to dodge it.

Zero held his hand out, "Dark Capriccio!" He fired his beam again, destroying the Emerald Hawk in a matter of seconds. The Emerald Knight hastily held his shield up to block the attack.

He was full on panicking at this point, but he didn't care. He had on ace in the hole at the moment, and it didn't even directly involve him. But he would be damned if he was to be harmed so early after Wendy had gone through all that trouble to heal him.

The tip of his lance burned with a green flame. He aimed it towards Natsu, maybe it would wake him up and restore him, make him even stronger than he was before, "Flare Star!"

"Oh, I don't think so! Dark Capriccio!" Zero fired his beam again.

Focusing his aim towards Natsu made him completely sidetracked when it came to his shield. It was a headshot. The Emerald Knight screamed and coughed up blood, as his helmet flew off. He collapsed on the ground, making a horrible sound as the heavy armored man thudded against the ground.

"Ha, ha…" Klodoa laughed nervously, since he was basically the only living creature left aside from Zero himself, "That's our Master Zero for you! Well done, sir! Well done! You completely destroyed those pestering brats with hardly a struggle!"

Zero held his hands out, "Well, they're not dead yet."

"…what?"

"I think they're still breathing!" Zero screamed, "These brats need to be taught a lesson once they reach hell!"

"Master Zero! There's no need!" Klodoa said, once Zero glared at him, he recoiled, "I…I mean…Cait Shelter is quickly approaching…" He floated towards the exit.

"Hmm…" Zero followed him out towards the King's Hall.

Klodoa surveyed the land in front of them. Sure enough, Cait Shelter was coming fast, "That guild houses the clan that sealed Nirvana away! All we have to do is crush them and it'll never get sealed away again!"

"How pathetic."

"What?"

"It's pathetic!" Zero grabbed Klodoa, burning away his wooden base with dark magic.

The skull fell to the ground, "I'm…I'm so sorry Master Zero! Please…please f-forgive me! Ah!" Zero stomped on him, crushing him to bits.

"I just want to destroy! Anything and everything!" He said, as the front of Nirvana revealed a cannon, "This will be the first shot I take! I don't need a reason! Everything needs to be destroyed! I will turn this pitiful guild to ruins!"

The cannon warmed up with a glowing white light, about to let loose its humungous laser beam, "Nirvana, fire!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Eh, this one's kind of short, but hey, I had the Emerald Knight fight back. (Lucy just kinda stood there). I don't know, I don't intend to be mean to Lucy (though the fact I outright replaced her in this fic pretty much reveals what I think of her) but some of her fights are just…ugh…

Take for example, Lucy and Juvia vs. Vildaldus. Vildaldus aims his guitar at Juvia and says 'you're gonna be my succubus.' And Lucy…just, freaking _stands there_ , and lets it happen. I mean, I get it, Vildaldus was a powerful foe at the time, and neither of them probably understood what the hell he meant, but I mean…come on. If a villain if going to announce something so obvious, then you should at least _try_ to thwart them in the attack, even if it has a 100% fail rate. Thus, I had the Emerald Knight stun Vildaldus, and Juvia was never turned into a succubus like in the canon.

Again, not specifically hating on Lucy, sometimes her fights are just scripted to take as long as humanly possible. Which is fine for me, I guess. More stuff to rewrite.

I'd also like to thank SagelyGuy for the review and the kind words. In less than a handful of chapters, the Nirvana arc will conclude, and we'll be into some fluffage before Edolas.


End file.
